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2020 Day 2 SS-2

This document provides an overview of critical thinking concepts including: 1. Critical thinking is defined as the careful application of reason to determine the truth of a claim. It involves a wide range of skills and attitudes. 2. Elements of critical thinking are discussed such as claims, facts versus opinions, issues raised by claims, arguments which provide reasons for a claim, and premises and conclusions. 3. Critical thinking standards of clarity, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth, logic, and fairness are presented. 4. Barriers to critical thinking like misunderstanding criticism and cognitive biases are identified. The document aims to build understanding of foundational critical thinking concepts and skills.

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Tran Phuong
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44 views37 pages

2020 Day 2 SS-2

This document provides an overview of critical thinking concepts including: 1. Critical thinking is defined as the careful application of reason to determine the truth of a claim. It involves a wide range of skills and attitudes. 2. Elements of critical thinking are discussed such as claims, facts versus opinions, issues raised by claims, arguments which provide reasons for a claim, and premises and conclusions. 3. Critical thinking standards of clarity, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth, logic, and fairness are presented. 4. Barriers to critical thinking like misunderstanding criticism and cognitive biases are identified. The document aims to build understanding of foundational critical thinking concepts and skills.

Uploaded by

Tran Phuong
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CRITICAL

THINKING
Activity
• Discuss in your group of 3-4:
• What are the major contents of the chapter? How is it organized
(elements, how different from other books)?
• What (points/issues/topics) do you need more explanation?
• What is your priority of LOs?
• What questions do you have about the contents of this chapter?
Agenda
• Critical Thinking
• Basic terms and concepts
• Arguments
• Critical Thinking Standards
• Cognitive biases
Thinking and Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking
Thinking: a › The careful application of
purposeful, reason in the determination
organized of whether a claim is true.
cognitive process (Moore & Parker, 2009)
that we use to › A complex process of
make sense of our deliberation which involves
world. a wide range of skills and
attitudes. (Stella Cottrell,
2011)
Activity
• Study “Critical Thinking - the long version”
• For which points/questions do you need further explanation?
• Which points/questions do you find as rooms for
improvement?
Critical Thinking Skills

Reasoning

Analyzing CRITICAL Evaluating


THINKING
SKILLS

Decision Making Problem Solving


Elements in critical thinking
Claims
 Any statement of fact, belief, opinion, etc.
› “It takes 1h45’ to fly from Hanoi to Hochiminh city.”
› “You need to use an umbrella today.”
› “You should become a doctor.”
› “You can only be happy if you own a fancy new car or buy a nice pair of
shoes”
 Objective claims vs. Subjective claims
 “It takes 1h45’ to fly from Hanoi to Hochiminh city.”
 “It’s too far to go from Hanoi to Hochiminh city by coach
Fact and Opinion
• Fact
• Objective
• Independent from what people think
• Opinion
• subjective
Issues
 An issue is raised when a claim is
tested about its truth or falsity and
its validity
 Questions to ask
 True or False?
 Valid or not?
 In what sense?
 How to validate?
What issue is raised?
• These days young people are not
interested in religion.
• It’s human nature to make mistakes.
• This building accommodates 200
apartments.

Tip: Ask a question about each sentence then you will learn what
issue(s) can be raised.
Arguments
A set of statements/reasons for thinking
that a claim is true, i.e. to settle the
issue.
Structure
› Premise: the reason for believing a claim is
true.
› Conclusion: the answer to the issue.
Claim? Issue? Argument? Premise?
Conclusion?
1. “You don’t need to come to class today.”
2. “The traffic is worsening when Tet is coming.”
3. “You shouldn’t become a doctor.”
4. “You can only be respected if you have GPA of 4.0”
5. “It is raining in Hanoi right now, so you should use an umbrella
today.”
6. “Sam should be excused for missing class. He has to attend the city
chess competition.”
7. “You will make lots of money if you buy that nail salon down the
street.”
Are these arguments?
1. “Ghosts exist.”
2. “Ghosts exist, so it is obvious that they are real.”
3. “Ghosts exist , and they made many people who did not believe in them
die.”
4. “I believe Ghosts exist because I grew up in a family that believe in
ghosts.”
5. “Ghosts exist because something has to inspire the creation of the
television series and movie.”
About Premises
• May be indicated by lead-in words or
phrases
Since… For the reason that…
For… In view of…
Because… This is implied by…
About Premises
May be surrounded by irrelevancies
My office is moving and I will have to drive 5 miles
farther to work everyday in two weeks’ time.
However, my car has outlived its usefulness. The
breaks aren’t working, the engine burns oil, the
transmission needs work, and the car is hard to
start. Moreover, the way to the office is through
narrow streets with several turns. So, we should
get a new car.
About Conclusions
• May be indicated by lead-in words or phrases

Thus… Therefore… This shows that…


So… Accordingly... This implies that…
Hence… Consequently… This proves that…
Ergo… It follows that… This suggests that…
About Conclusions
• Must be consistent, containing only
terms found in the premises (or their
equivalents)
• "My brother used to have laboratory rats,
and they bit me whenever they got the
opportunity. Hamsters are a lot like those
rats, so they will run all around. Get them
away!"
Activity (10’)
“Nghề luật sư không tiếp xúc trực tiếp nhiều với khách hàng,
nhưng dù vậy, vẫn có khả năng tìm được môt công việc liên
quan đến luật pháp, phù hợp với sở thích được làm việc nhiều
tại tòa án của bạn. Tuy nhiên, nếu một luật sư muốn có nhiều
cơ hội làm việc tại tòa án, họ cần cẩn thận lựa chọn lĩnh vực
chuyên ngành, xem xét tính chất công việc đó có phù hợp với
sở thích của mình hay không. Không có lĩnh vực nào giống lĩnh
vực naò. Luật sư hình sự có thể làm việc chủ yếu tại tòa án.
Trong khi luật sư về thuế có thể chỉ làm việc một ngày, một
tháng hoặc thậm chí ít hơn thế tại tòa. Nói chung nhiệm vụ
của các luật sư đòi hỏi họ làm việc ở văn phòng nhiều hơn là
tòa án.”
Không có lĩnh vưc nào giống lĩnh vực nào. Nghề luật sư không tiếp xúc trực tiếp
nhiều với khách hàng, nhưng dù vây, vẫn có kha năng tìm được một công việc
liễn quan đến luật pháp, phu hợp với sơ thích được làm việc nhiều tại tòa án của
ban Luật sư hình sự có thể làm việc chu yếu tại tòa án. Trong khi luật sư về thuế
có thể chỉ làm việc một ngày, một tháng hoặc thậm chỉ ít hơn thế tại tòa. Tuy
nhiên, nếu một luật sự muốn có nhiều cơ hội làm việc tại tòa án, họ cần cần thân
lựa chọn lĩnh vực chuyên ngành, xem xét tính chất công việc đo có phụ hợp với
sơ thích của mình hay không. Nói chung nhiễm vụ của các luật sự đòi hỏi họ làm
việc ở văn phòng nhiều hơn là tòa án.
Critical Thinking Standards (CTS)
 Clarity
 Accuracy
 Precision
 Relevance
 Depth
 Breadth
 Logic
 Fairness
CTS - Clarity
“Time is gold.”
Could you elaborate further on that point?
Could you express that point in another way?
Could you give me an illustration?
Could you give me an example?
CTS – Accuracy
Is that really true?
How could we check that?
How could we find out if that is true?
CTS – Precision
Could you give more details?
Could you be more specific?
CTS – Relevance
How is that connected to the question?
How does that bear on the issue?
CTS – Depth
How does your answer address the complexities in the
question?
How are you taking into account the problems in the
question?
Is that dealing with the most significant factors?
CTS – Breadth
Do we need to consider another point of view?
Is there another way to look at this question?
What would this look like from a conservative standpoint?
What would this look like from the point of view of...?
CTS – Logic
• Does this really make sense?
• Does that follow from what you said?
• How does that follow?
• But before you implied this and now you are saying that; how
can both be true?
CTS – Fairness
Critical thinking demands that our thinking be
fair.
• Open-minded
• Impartial
• Free of distorting biases and preconceptions
Discussion
• What can you take as barriers to critical thinking?
Barriers to critical thinking
 Misunderstanding of what is meant by criticism
 Over-estimating your own reasoning ability
 Lack of method, strategy or practice
 Affective reasons
 Reluctance to critique/challenge experts
 Insufficient focus and attention to details
 Natural resistance to (learn) critical thinking
Cognitive biases
• Belief bias, confirmation bias
• Availability heuristic
• Bandwagon effect
• Negativity bias
• In-group, out-group bias
• Obedience to authority
• Overconfidence effect

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