Critical Thinking Exam (Chapter 1-4)
critical thinking
(Ans- The systematic evaluation or formulation of beliefs, or statements, by
rational standards.
Logic
(Ans- The study of good reasoning, or inference, and the rules that govern
it.
statement (claim)
(Ans- an assertion that something is or is not the case
Argument
(Ans- A group of statements in which some of them (the premises) are
intended to support another of them (the conclusion).
premise
(Ans- In an argument, a statement, or reason, given in support of the
conclusion.
Inference
(Ans- the process of reasoning from a premise or premises to a conclusion
based on those premises
Explanation
(Ans- A statement or statements intended to tell why or how something is
the case.
indicator words
(Ans- words that are frequently included in arguments and signal that a
premise or conclusion is present
peer pressure
(Ans- Group pressure to accept or reject a claim based solely on what
one’s peers think or do.
appeal to popularity (or to the masses)
(Ans- the fallacy of arguing that a claim must be true merely because a
substantial number of people believe it
stereotyping
(Ans- drawing conclusions about people based merely on their membership
in some group
world view
(Ans- A philosophy of life; a set of fundamental ideas that helps us make
sense of a wide range of important issues in life. A world view defines for
us what exists, what should be, and what we can know
subjective relativism
(Ans- The idea that truth depends on what someone believes.