Critical Thinking Exam Study Guide
Critical Thinking
(Ans- The systematic evaluation or formulation of beliefs or statements by
rational standards
Assertion (Statement)
(Ans- A declarative sentence that is intended to make a claim of some sort.
I.e. I am taller than you
Premise
(Ans- A statement that is offered in a support of a conclusion
Conclusion
(Ans- A statement that is held to be support by a premise or premises.
Argument
(Ans- Set of statements; on of which (conclusion) is taken to be supported
by the remaining statements (the conclusion)
Inference
(Ans- The move from a premise(s) to a conclusion(s)
Conclusion Indicators
(Ans- Thus, therefore, we may conclude, so, it follows that, entails,
consequently
Premise indicators
(Ans- Since, because, for, as, given that, in as much as, for the reason that
Deductively Valid
(Ans- If it is impossible for the premises to be true, while the conclusion is
false. (conclusion would have to be true too)
Deductively Sound
(Ans- Only if the argument is deductively valid, and all premises are true.
Inductive Strength
(Ans- An argument is this only if the conclusion is probably true, given the
premises.
Explanation
(Ans- tells us how or why something is the case
Category 1 (Impediment to critical thinking)
(Ans- Obstacles that arise because of how we think. Self-Interested
thinking (accepting a claim because it coincides with our interests) and
Group-Thinking (peer pressure, and stereotyping)
Category 2 (Impediment to critical thinking)
(Ans- Obstacles that arise because of what we think. Issues because of our
views about truth and knowledge
Relativsim
(Ans- The view that propositions have a truth-value, but this depends upon
some person or social group
Subjective Relativism
(Ans- The view that truth-value solely depends upon what some subject
believes
Socia Relativism
(Ans- The view that truth-value of a proposition depends upon societies.
Skepticism
(Ans- The view that propositions have truth-values, but we know what very
few, or none, of them are. (we know a lot less than we think)