Reading Critically Writing Well 11th Edition Thriftbooks
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1. Importance of Critical Thinking
ii. Separation of issues from conclusions
3. Identification of ambiguous arguments
4. Identification of assumptions
v. Understanding rational fallacies
vi. Evaluation of show
7. Looking for rival causes (culling hypotheses)
8. Evaluation of data
I recommend this book for anyone that wants to improve their ability to think through; circuitous chore, research efforts or, the upcoming presidential race. In a world total of sound bites and rapid burn media blitzing information technology's hard to take the fourth dimension to call back through relevant issues. A book like this provides tools we can use to determine what arguments are worth listening too and then weight its validity. I plan to do what was taught in this book. It will help me identify my own biases and preconceived notions and I can apply this as a guideline for evaluating my co-workers publications. This book will stay on my desk-bound as a abiding reference. Its cover well worn; its contents tabbed and heavily annotated (right next to Elements of Style).
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Your best strategy is to nowadays yourself as someone, who like the person who made the statement in the first place is stumbling around, but always watchful for better conclusions. Openness is a central value of a critical thinker, and you evidence that openness by your eagerness to listen and discover. Whoever finds the better conclusion first is not relevant; what is important is the search for improve conclusions. If you lot give signals to those trying to persuade y'all that yous are thei finalword quote:
Your all-time strategy is to present yourself equally someone, who like the person who fabricated the argument in the first place is stumbling effectually, just always watchful for ameliorate conclusions. Openness is a central value of a critical thinker, and you bear witness that openness by your eagerness to heed and discover. Whoever finds the ameliorate determination first is non relevant; what is important is the search for amend conclusions. If you give signals to those trying to persuade you that you are their partner in a discovery process intended to enrich yous both, they may encounter your critical questions as a tool that is indispensable to both of you. ...more
The final chapter (14) summarizes the framework of the approach taught here:
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Question Checklist for Disquisitional ThinkingWhat are the consequence and the conclusion?
What are the reasons?
Which words or phrases are ambiguous?
What are the value conflicts and assumptions?
What are the descriptive assumptions?
Are there any fallacies in the reasoning?
How proficient is the prove?
Are there rival causes?
Are the statistics deceptive?
What significant information is omitted?
What reasonable conclusions are possible?Strategies for Constructive Critical Thinking
[...]
Exist certain to demonstrate that you really desire to grasp what is being said. Ask questions that indicate your willingness to grasp and have new conclusions.
Recapitulate what you heard or read and ask whether your understanding of the argument is consistent with what was written or spoken.
Voice your critical questions as if you are curious. Nix is more deadly to the effective use of disquisitional thinking than an mental attitude of "Aha, I defenseless you making an error."
Request boosted reasons that might enable the person to make a stronger argument than the ane originally provided.
Piece of work hard to keep the conversation going. If critical thinking is deployed similar a bomb, thinking on that topic is halted.
Ask the other person for permission to allow you to explore any weaknesses in the reasoning. The idea with this strategy is to encourage the other person to examine the argument with you.
Convey the impression that you and the other person are collaborators, working toward the same objective - improved conclusions.
For these "authors," the two-fold purpose of "Disquisitional Thinking " is a) to know for whom to vote and b) to know how to answer to advertisements. That is all. I'k not making this up; the book says that's why we need "critical thinking." Non for "how to become a worthwhile person," non for "how to make the globe around us a improve place or the people effectually us better people," not "to pursue truth and beauty and other affirming absolutes." No, but to know the right candidate (and it takes about four pages into the volume to notice out what political party the "authors" remember is correct) and how to say no to all advertisements (as if we didn't all know that by the historic period of 12 anyway). Yes, in the concluding faux concluding chapter reside some insincere "well, we're all in this together, so exist sure to utilize your critical thinking skills to assistance others out" stuff, only we can all be fairly certain someone'southward grandfather who signed the paychecks fashion back in the 2nd edition days (back in the '90s, when all smart people knew Islam had run its class) required this and now it'south just left over because it sounds all warm and sincere (or so they "retrieve").
Now, not much wrong exists with the bodily "right questions" themselves, yet the need for entire chapter-like things explaining them does not be either. This could have worked much better without the "practice examples," the nonsensical repetition, and everything just the final "why is this question important" box. One easy indicator of how much piffle suffuses this work is the fact the creators decided to highlight the important notices by both demarcating the essential points with thick grey borders flanking the significant paragraphs and beginning said paragraphs with the emboldened globe "Attention." Ane would suppose simply one of these devices would be necessary to indicate the distinctively special nature of the cloth, but the authors chose both. And so they repeat themselves a lot. Thus, this would have been quite fine equally a iii-page pamphlet. Alas, the authors decided the route of horridly overpriced textbook instead of curtailed, useful pamphlet. Alas.
Ane could also mention the repletion of contradictions throughout: subsequently redundantly explaining how important the "right question" nether evaluation in each private affiliate is, the authors will ofttimes gear up you for the conclusion of the chapter (and the wretchedly off-putting practical examples) with "aye, but, sometimes it's not like that, so practice your best to make sure when the right time to ask this right question is correct."
Ane final concern nigh this (aside from the concern about their comments to the event "emotions should never play a part in whatever decision"): the authors adamantly warn us against thinking in dichotomies. On the surface, of course, this sounds like good communication. Who can error Pinkish Floyd for enjoining usa against thinking in terms of "us and them"? The concern rests, though, in their outlandish annunciation "never think in terms of right and wrong." Because this is a dichotomy, it must be the wrong (irrational) way of making decisions and viewing the world. Everything that is proficient must have more than than two options. And on and on. I'd say it'southward rubbish, only that would be an insult to assistant peels, cockroach husks, and concluding month's wheat thins, and I don't want to insult them.
Don't waste your fourth dimension. Information technology's a curt work, but life'due south likewise short for this work.
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To explain this procedure, the authors employ numerous examples of arguments—many curt but some long—to help readers develop the skills necessary to ask and answer the questions raised past each step in the evaluative process. And, while the authors' slow and deliberate steps for assessing arguments don't necessarily provide any footing breaking information, they even so function in such a clear and curtailed way that they should be attainable to anyone. The fact that some of the arguments are a chip outdated is well-nigh irrelevant since the focus is on the reasoning construction more than and so than the actual data presented. (Note: I read the 2d edition, so the arguments may take been updated since then.)
While the book has many positives, the affiliate that impressed me the well-nigh was the one on value assumptions. This may exist in role because I take a fascination with people'southward values, but I also believe that the authors did a particularly good job explaining how value assumptions inform people'southward views and how those assumptions can be unearthed past looking carefully at the argument. They likewise stressed how while an of import value may direct someone's position and downplay other values, that doesn't mean those other values accept been completely set aside. They can however be important and accept a serious impact on a different topic.
So, value assumptions and all, this is a book that holds up well and explains fairly in-depth skills in an easy-to-understand way.
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Only this should be a required reading for life probably
174-Request the Right Questions-Neil Chocolate-brown-Methodology-1981
Barack
2018/06/1 7
2020/06/x
- bold that acceptable? Is the evidence true? Are there flaws in the argumentation process? Are there other possibilities?
Request the Right Questions, first published in the U.s. in 1981. It applies inquiry results in the field of critical thinking, enumerates a large number of examples in scientific inquiry and daily life, and teaches people how to propose, recollect, judge, and solve bug rati
174-Asking the Right Questions-Neil Brown-Methodology-1981
Barack
2018/06/1 seven
2020/06/10
- assuming that acceptable? Is the evidence truthful? Are there flaws in the argumentation process? Are at that place other possibilities?
Asking the Right Questions, start published in the United States in 1981. It applies inquiry results in the field of critical thinking, enumerates a large number of examples in scientific research and daily life, and teaches people how to suggest, think, approximate, and solve problems rationally, logically and critically.
Neil Browne was built-in in the United States in 1944. He received a bachelor'south degree from the University of Houston and a Ph.D. from the Academy of Texas. Representative works: "Learn to Ask Questions", "Go Out of Misunderstandings of Thinking", etc.
Part of the itemize
i. Learn to ask good questions
two. What is the topic and conclusion
3. What is the reason
four. Which words are non articulate
five. What are value assumptions and descriptive assumptions
vi. Are in that location any fallacies in the reasoning process?
vii. How constructive is the testify: intuition, personal experience, typical cases, testimony from the parties and expert opinions
8. How effective is the bear witness: personal observations, enquiry reports and analogies
nine. Is in that location an culling reason
10. Is the information deceptive?
"Ask Questions," the article , more than refers to how the employ of critical thinking objectively evaluate the period of the demonstration process, rather than focusing on how to brand a loftier quality targeted problem.
Learn to inquire good questions. Critical thinking tin can be divided into three specific aspects: the sensation of a fix of interrelated and interlocking cardinal questions, the ability to appropriately ask and answer key questions, and the strong desire to use primal questions proactively. In that location are two ways of thinking: sponge thinking and golden rush thinking. According to different purposes, critical thinking can be divided into weak disquisitional thinking and potent critical thinking.
What is the topic and determination. The topics tin be divided into descriptive and prescriptive topics. The former can be understood as a question about "is it right", and the latter tin can exist understood as a question almost "should or not".
What is the reason. The conclusion itself is not evidence, it is an opinion supported past evidence or other opinions. If the reason is weak, so the conclusions obtained afterward reasoning will also be weak.
Which words mean unclear. In the process of reasoning and argumentation, some primal terms and phrases are often involved. Only when their pregnant is understood tin an argument be evaluated.
What are value assumptions and descriptive assumptions. The process of reasoning is often based on some premises and assumptions, and these big premises and assumptions are frequently omitted considering the writer seems to be self-axiomatic. These assumptions can be divided into value assumptions and descriptive assumptions.
Is at that place any fallacy in the reasoning process? At that place are many fallacies that may arise in the process of reasoning, such as: personal attack fallacy, slippery fall fallacy, fallacy of seeking perfect solutions, fallacy of stealing concepts, fallacy of highly-seasoned to the public, fallacy of suspicious authority, fallacy of appeal, fallacy of scarecrow, False dilemma choice fallacy, mislabeling fallacy, halo effect fallacy, topic diversion fallacy, circular argument fallacy, etc.
How constructive is the evidence: intuition, personal feel, typical cases, testimony from the parties, and expert opinions. The in a higher place types of bear witness are often used equally bear witness to back up conclusions, but they are non always convincing, then in specific application scenarios, they need to exist cautious.
How effective is the show: personal observations, enquiry reports, and analogies. Similarly, the above show may also exist ane-sided. But in that location is almost no perfect prove in the world, so even a one-sided investigation may bear a lot of useful information, but as we ourselves, we need to know where our bias lies to forbid being overly persuaded past the results of the investigation.
Is there an culling reason. Fifty-fifty if we find a seemingly invulnerable or highly likely cause or evidence, the more probable it is one of the reasons that caused the fourth dimension to happen, rather than the only reason. Amidst the possible fallacies are: oversimplification of causal fallacy, causal confusion fallacy, ignoring mutual cause fallacy, and hindsight fallacy of attribution.
Is the data deceptive? Intuitively, the information is irrefutable and convincing. Merely before we evaluate the data, we must commencement ask where they come from and whether they are biased. The use of average values and relative comparison of data are common tricks.
What important data is omitted. Most of the information we receive is purposeful, so fifty-fifty if the data is true and apparent, another aspect of the thing is oft omitted intentionally or unintentionally. We need to be aware of what data needs to be further provided in order to get more than Objective and fair conclusions.
What reasonable conclusions tin can be fatigued. Different reasons can go the same conclusion, and similarly, the same set of reasons can also infer multiple alternative conclusions. Looking for different solutions to a trouble is, to a certain extent, looking for other conclusions that this argument may draw.
" Equally a thoughtful person, you have to cull how to answer to what you come across and hear. One way is to take everything yous read or hear. Equally time goes by, you will The opinions of others are regarded as their own, and they are what others are right and not what others are non. But no i volition willingly become a slave to others' thoughts. Another more aggressive and admirable way is to mention some more than powerful ones. Questions then that you lot can brand your own judgment on the value of what you lot have experienced. "
In "ane 984 ", " Dauntless New World " , " We " and other dystopian literary works . Such terrorist in the world is a very obvious feature is , well-nigh ordinary people actively or passively motion lost the ability to recollect critically. And choose to accept or decline sure ideas without thinking. I 2 0 on over 14 years is called a " disquisitional writing " class. In 2 0 over a 15-year time and " critical thinking " class. But even 5 or six years have passed. I still haven't been able to fully apply the principles I learned in my daily life . Many times nevertheless apply a rather emotional style to make decisions. Treat yourself to others . So I suspect that for most people, information technology is often emotional , and they cannot rationally adopt critical thinking methods and consider issues more advisedly .
" In that location is a common way of thinking called sponge thinking considering information technology is like to the reaction of a sponge in h2o-fully absorbing water. This popular sponge thinking has the following ii significant advantages. First, it absorbs the outside world. The more than data you have, the more you can feel the intricacies of the globe, and the cognition you lot acquire will lay a solid foundation for further circuitous thinking in the future. Second, relatively speaking, this way of thinking is Passive, it does not require you to rack your brains to meditate, so it comes hands and quickly, especially when the material you see is already organized and bright, this way of thinking is more effective. To go a A thoughtful person, passively absorbing information from the outside world does provide you with a fruitful starting indicate, just sponge thinking has a very serious and fatal flaw: how to choose between various information and opinions, It does not provide whatsoever method. If the reader ever relies on the sponge thinking, he volition be convinced of everything he has read recently. "
Unfortunately , many parents want their children to go sponges. Such parents want their children to see and hear the exterior globe are regarded as a model , these are instilled in their content never forget in my mind, I hope the children can non , not even to recall most these ideas for possible errors. Such a child volition grow up to go an first-class discipline. They are like soldiers in the army, they simply need to obey, without asking why.
" We believe that you must exist willing to have the initiative and choose what to believe and ignore. To make decisions and trade-offs, y'all have to read with a certain mental attitude, that is, read with problems. This way of thinking requires Y'all are actively involved. The writer is telling you the whole story, and you are always ready to argue with it, fifty-fifty though the author is non present at all. We telephone call this blazon of interaction the gold-rush thinking. "
If we read a piffling scrap of text left by former sages . You volition find that nigh of them encourage reading. Even extensive reading beyond the professional scope . And these people also accept an obvious feature, that is, they take their ain mode of looking at the globe. Between different people , the iii views may exist similar or at odds , but few are exactly the aforementioned. One of the benefits of reading is that. Nosotros can calmly think about and even refute the opinions. Since the author and our real life almost no connection, so we practise non have too much fright of the conflict . Of grade , this author may have a group of fanatical believers who may brand precipitous attacks on whatsoever refuted views. This is like the controversy nosotros often see on Weibo.
I like to brand reading notes when I am reading. There are mainly two types of content recorded. Ane is the office of the original text that interests me. I may accept this sentence may agree or may oppose , or just recollect it'south instructive. The 2nd type of content recorded is my accidental thinking. These thoughts are and then random that I didn't know what thoughts I would have before I started reading, and I didn't call back what thoughts I had in the process after I finished reading. Information technology is because they are fleeting, and so I record it. One day in the future , possibly I have a run a risk to re-read the volume, then, is not simply the book itself will exist picky I think, even recollect I was cocky-generated , is also likely to exist the future of my criticism .
" How do readers who adopt a sponge-like thinking read? He reads word by word, trying his best to memorize what he reads. He may draw lines under keywords and primal sentences, or use colored pens to mark; he may do Notes to summarize the themes and principal points; he reviews the line drawing office of the book or revisits the notes from time to time to ensure that he has not forgotten any important knowledge points. His main task is to find out the author's signal of view and fully understand it. He remembers the author Talk nearly the whole process of theoretical proof, but practise not make any comments on it. What volition the reader who adopts the gold blitz thinking do? Like the reader who adopts the sponge thinking, he likewise hopes to acquire new noesis in the process of reading, simply both This is the only similarity between the 2.
Golden rush thinking requires readers to enquire themselves a series of established questions in guild to find the best judgment or the near reasonable opinion. Readers who adopt gold rush thinking oft question why the author has to make diverse claims. He wrote notes on the side of the book to remind himself of the bug in the author'southward reasoning and statement. He interacts with his reading materials all the time, with the goal of critically evaluating the materials he has read and cartoon his own conclusions on the ground of objective evaluation. "
"The well-nigh of import feature of the golden rush thinking is participation and interaction, that is, the dialogue betwixt the author and the reader, the speaker and the audience. Y'all come with the desire of assertive in others, but first they have to make an order for the questions yous heighten. Convincing answers. The improprieties of other people'due south opinions will never automatically spring to your optics all the time. As a reader and listener, you must keep your total attention, and the best way to keep your energy focused is to keep asking questions. Critical Asking questions is the all-time way to call up information and search for answers. Just the correct way to ask questions has a powerful advantage: they tin ensure you interruption the goulash to the finish, even if yous take limited noesis of the topic of discussion. "
But not everyone likes this way of chatting. I take also met some people, when I exchange ideas with people with such a way , also encountered negative feedback. Some people remember that I am purely arguing. But in fact, my purpose is just to discuss this issue more fully.
" No matter what type of question you are asking, the ones that need you lot to study in particular are often those that are inconsistent with the views of "enlightened and well-informed people." In fact, many questions are fascinating precisely because of everyone's opinions on the method of answering There are serious disagreements. Any controversy contains more than than ane position and viewpoint. Some positions and viewpoints may be supported by strong arguments. On social issues, information technology is difficult to have a point of view that allows you to declare in one fell dive, " On this question, just this signal of view is completely correct." If such a definite answer is possible, and then enlightened and well-informed people will not be debating this question incessantly. "
If people do non contend on an outcome. This is not necessarily a good affair. At that place are several possibilities. Get-go, the consequence itself is not important. Of class , problems that are not important in the eyes of some people may be important in the eyes of others. For case, does a star possess good acting skills? Second, people alive in terror . This horror makes them afraid to express unlike opinions. In such a society, many examples can exist institute no matter in reality or in literary works. But unity of opinion helps to govern, but it never helps to detect the truth.
" The purpose of weak disquisitional thinking is to resist and refute those opinions and discourses that differ from you. In the end, seeing those who disagree with you lot submissively and willingly acknowledge defeat, as the ultimate goal of critical thinking. In fact will destroy critical thinking and potential of the homo side of the continuous development and progress features. On the contrary, stiff critical thinking to ask us question everything equally advocate the apply of primal issues, including our own ideas. dialectical force yourself to await at united states of america We tin can guarantee that we volition not deceive ourselves and others. It's like shooting fish in a barrel to concur on to our initial opinions, especially when many people's opinions are the same equally you. But once we choose to go this style The easy style, we are very likely to make mistakes we shouldn't have made. "
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In full general, it was a well-written book that trains you to think critically. I of the strengths of this book is that it did not focus only on logical fallacies merely also elaborated many vital principles such as value disharmonize and the divergence between prescriptive and descriptive arguments.
Somehow, it needed more explanation when it comes to I believe that I took long time to finish this volume. Consequently, I got bored at the three final chapters as I felt that repetition exists inside the book.
In general, it was a well-written book that trains you to remember critically. 1 of the strengths of this book is that information technology did not focus only on logical fallacies only also elaborated many vital principles such as value disharmonize and the difference between prescriptive and descriptive arguments.
Somehow, it needed more caption when it comes to statistics and scientific researches.
Personal feedback: I didn't similar indicating the tertiary person in the feminine sense. ...more
I had to read this for a graduate level course and it was an insulting waste of anybody's time, especially given that my course is on the governmental budget. I wouldn't use this overly simplistic book past an 8th gr
"A Guide to Critical Thinking" filled with weak exercises, logical errors, and questions asked only to make the author'southward point for them, rather than actually evaluate a concept. Half the fourth dimension the "critical thinking" hinged on y'all simply not knowing the actual definition of a discussion.I had to read this for a graduate level course and information technology was an insulting waste of everyone's time, peculiarly given that my course is on the governmental upkeep. I wouldn't employ this overly simplistic volume past an 8th course level.
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Conclusion: Anyone can think critically with enough practice and discipline.
Reasons: You just accept to exercise, and go through the steps until they become second nature.
Ambiguous: Critical thinking may mean different things to different people.
Value conflicts: Does everyone desire to think critically? Would it make the world a ameliorate place if they did?
Fallacies: There wasn't an exhaustive list of fallacies, I'g certain Result: Critical Thinking is hard work, and not many people take the time to do it.
Conclusion: Anyone can retrieve critically with enough practise and subject field.
Reasons: You but have to practice, and go through the steps until they become 2d nature.
Ambiguous: Disquisitional thinking may mean different things to different people.
Value conflicts: Does anybody want to think critically? Would it make the world a ameliorate place if they did?
Fallacies: There wasn't an exhaustive list of fallacies, I'm sure Neil made at to the lowest degree one. Maybe appeals to common opinion and some begging the question.
Evidence: More often than not examples, analogies, appeal to a loftier authority.
Rival causes: Are people lazy or are our brains getting soft and weak? Do we need to call up critical when we tin can but google?
Statistics: There ought to be some. Critical thinking is no longer a curriculum of itself, it gets "worked into" other disciplines. I bet in that location are some drastic drops in some sort of intelligence mensurate since it vicious off the radar.
Pregnant information omitted: I really tin can't think of annihilation, the final chapter tells you how to be a disquisitional thinker without coming off as an a hole, which is a nice bonus.
Other reasonable conclusions: Is intuition a amend guide than disquisitional thinking? Could nosotros solve the world'southward problems through developed critical thinking? ...more than
The volume encourages you to become an agile reader and listener, every bit well as thoughtful writer and speaker. Information technology provides y'all unlike points of view to consider the information you encounter, help you develop solid foundation of noesis, so that you lot can make your ain personal choices nigh what to accept and what to reject. Criticism in your thinking will assist yous to "pan for gold" from the material you interact with.
Dear the book and then much that I desire to recommend information technology for anyone, who want to know more about itself through asking the correct questions.
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Department one of affiliate one: The Noisy, Confused Globe We Live In. There is nothing special about "the world" and the "nosotros" is just a propaganda term geared towards eliciting an emotional response. Quite the opposite of what this book is pretending to assistance the reader notice.
Section two of chapter i: Experts Cannot Rescue United states of america, Despite What They Say. Nigh experts are merely talk
Quite an ironic text. The authors lack the critical thinking skills they are trying to sell to the reader. 11th edition? Wow.Department one of chapter one: The Noisy, Confused Globe We Live In. There is nothing special about "the world" and the "we" is simply a propaganda term geared towards eliciting an emotional response. Quite the opposite of what this book is pretending to help the reader find.
Section two of chapter i: Experts Cannot Rescue Us, Despite What They Say. Most experts are just talking heads. Many experts are experts in different fields, say a philosopher talking nearly genetics, a general practitioner designing fad diets or a nutritionist explaining infectious diseases. Yes, experts can help. But they have to be experts in the particular field they are talking virtually.
And so on. It might be dainty, if this is the merely book on disquisitional thinking in the libraries on a 2 hr bulldoze effectually you lot. Otherwise say pass.
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