Chapter-3-Critical-Thinking

Lecture3CriticalThinkingCriticalThinking•Alsoknownas“higher-orderthinking”,or“problem-solvingthinking”.–ItisNotcriticismorrejectionofotherpeople’sideas–Itisasystemofanalysisandevaluationusedtoincreasetheunderstandingofanyothersystem.DebateandCriticalThinking•Debateprovidessystemsforconstructingideastosupportorattackanissueandpresentingtheideasorally.–Asyoulearnhowtodebate,•Youareactuallylearningcriticalthinkingandyoubecomeabetterthinker/debater;•Youwillbecomebetterenabledtoexpressyourideasorallyandyoubecomeabetterspeaker.•Debateis–Mentalgymnastics•Youbuildyourthinkingabilitiesthrupracticeandcompetition–Alaboratory•Thebestideasaretested•Afterthedebate,evaluationsareofferedbythejudgeortheaudience.–Oneofthebesteducationalexperiencesforimprovingyourcriticalthinkingwhilespeaking.DevelopingCriticalThinking•Twonecessarythings:–ToolsandpracticeCriticalThinkingThruPaul-ElderModel•PEMisaneffectivecriticalthinkingtoolfordebateandalsoeffectivewithanysubjectmatterorsituation.•ElementsofThinking–Providesaspectsforyourtoanalyzeyourargument.Theyarethedifferentwindowsthruwhichtoobserveahouse.Eachwillgiveyouadifferentviewintheunderstandingofwhatthehouselookslikeinside.–Purpose,questions,information,inferences,concepts,assumptions,consequences,pointsofview.•Purpose–compareprosandconsofapolicy,weighvalues,ordevelopaplantosolveaproblem.•Questions–Majorissuesinvolvedinthepurpose,problemsorharmstobeaddressed,currentsystemisn’ttakingcare,basisofthevaluesbeingdebated,actionstobetakenandbenefitsoftheactions.•Information–Informationfororagainstthetopic,specificexperiences,helpingorguidingfactsoropinions,sourceofinformation,accuracyandup-datednessandrelevanceoftheinformation,qualityoftheinformationusedbytheotherteam•Inferences–WhatconclusiontodrawfromtheQ’sandInformationyouhear,relationbetweenprobandsolution,connectionbetweentwopiecesofevidence,consistencyorcontroversybetweentwoarguments•Concepts–Philosophicalideasortheorytounderstandorargueabout.Definitionstobeprovided.Theneedofjustificationofthecriteria.•Assumption–Thingstobetakenforgrantedonthetopic,achangehappenedthatwouldchangetheapproach.•Consequences–Goodthingsandbadthingsthatcomefromthearguments.Personalorsocietallevel.Whatwillhappenifaplanisinstituted?Advantagesanddisadvantagesoftheactionsindiscussion.•Pointsofview–Twoormorepointsofview.Whattypeoflanguageframesthearguments?Isthelanguageorpositionobjectiveorappropriatefortheissueathand?Howaretheargumentsphrased?Isthepositionaccurateforthequestionathand?•IntellectualStandardsofThinking–Clarity.Aretheargumentsunderstandable?Isthereavaguenessthatdoesnotallowforunderstandingofaspecificelement?Forexample,isthepurposeclear?•Accuracy.Istheinformationbeingunsedtrueandcomplete?Aretheconclusionsbeingdrawnappropriatefromtheinformationavaible?•Precision.Arethereenoughdetailstosatisfythespecificrequirements?Doestheactionhavesufficientconditionspresentedtosolvetheproblem(i.e.enoughmoney)?•Relevance.Howmuchdoestheelementrelatetotheissueathand?Doestheopponent’sargumentactuallyrefutesomethingyousay?•Significance.Howimportantissomething?Canitssignificancebemeasured?Theremayalsobeseveralvaluesinvolvedinadebate.Whenlookingtothequalityofthevaluescanyoudeterminewhicharemoreimportantandwhy?Isthesignificanceyoupresentgreaterthanthesignificancetheotherteampresents?•Depth.Whenevaluatinganissue,isthereaneedforunderstandingotherspecificswithintheissue?•Breadth.Whenevaluatinganissue,arethereotherareasofinterestnecessaryforunderstandingthecompletepicture?•Logic.Doestheargumentmakesense?Dotheconclusionscomefromtheanalysisandevidenceprovided?•Fairness.Isanobjectivepositionbeingtaken?Arethereotherpointsofviewthatneedtobeconsideredtominimizeethnocentrismoregocentrism?•Withtheeightelementsandninestandards,youactuallyhave72waystoanalyseandevaluateanyissue.ArgumentConstructionThroughtheToulminModel•Claim:statementsaboutfacts,values,orpolicies.•Data:inotherwords,ground,evidence,support,proof,documentation,orsubstance.•warrant:therelevantlink,ortheanalysisthatputstheclaimanddatatogetherandmakessenseoftheargument.CLAIMOralcommunicationskillsincreaseemploymentopportunities.DATAResearchontheFortune500listsoralcommunicationasthetopappliedskills.WARRANTWhatistruefortheFortune500isprobablytrueformostprospectiveemployees.LogicalArgumentConstructionCLAIMAirpollutionisbadforhumanhealth.DATAThereareover500McDonald’sRestaurantsinBeijing.WARRANTThereisnoobviousrelationshipthatlingsthesetwotogether.Thisargumentisunsound.IllogicalArgumentConstructionCLAIMPolicewon’tdevotetheirenergytocriminalinvestionation.DATADNAtechnologyisdeveloped.WARRANTDNAmakesworklighter.DecideifthefollowingsaresoundCLAIMPolicewon’tfindallthemembersofgroupcrimes.DATADNAmakesworklighter.WARRANTPolicewillnotdevoteenoughenergyanymorewithmoreadvancetechnology.DecideifthefollowingsaresoundCLAIMSecretinformationwillnotleakout.DATANoteveryonehasaccesstosecretinformation.WARRANTPolicewillhandleinformationinsafeandsoundway.CLAIMDNAinformationcan’tbeusedtodevelopnation-specificbiochemicalweapons.DATATheDNAinformati