Critical Thinking
COURSE OUTLINE:
UNDERSTANDING CRITICAL VS. NON-CRITICAL THINKING
The Case for Critical Thinking Recognizing Deceptive Reasoning Detecting Emotional Manipulation Styles of Non-Critical Thinking Critical Thinking Styles Becoming a Critical Thinker
RECOGNIZING AND EVALUATING ARGUMENTS
Defining Arguments Step 1: Pinpointing Issues Step 2: Identifying Arguments Step 3: Seeking Clarity Step 4: Understanding Context Step 5: Finding Credibility Step 6: Looking for Consistency Step 7: Judging Arguments Presenting Ideas Powerfully
DEVELOPING AND EVALUATING EXPLANATIONS
Explanations vs. Arguments Formulating Explanations Element 1: Gathering Information Element 2: Processing Information Element 3: Developing Hypotheses Element 4: Testing Hypotheses Asking Discovery Questions Challenging Assumptions
APPENDIX
Reviewing What You've Learned Author's Suggested Responses to the Exercises Author's Suggested Responses to the Case Studies Additional Reading