Fundamentals: Introduction to Critical Thinking

Form beliefs only by finding good reasons for them

,

.
When in an arugment the premises guarantee the concluison
is deductive. .
Ampliative Argument
The premises make the conclusion probable
but not guarantee it
In a deductive argument, the truth of the premises
guarantees the truth of the conclusion. In an
ampiliative argument, the truth of the premises does
not guarantee the truth of the conclusion, but rather
makes it merely probable.
Fundamentals: Deductive Arguments
A Valid Argument with True Premises is Sound
A valid argument sometimes may be not sound
if the premises are false.
A counterexample is a case, either real or imaginary
where the arguement's premises are true but the
conclusion is false.
Introduction to Critical Thinking Part 1-2
Fundamentals: Abductive Arguments
Good abductive arguments don't guarantee their
conclusions, but give us very good reasons to
believe their conclusions.
A simpler explanation is better than a complicate
one. Challenge an abdutive argument by coming
with a better explanation with the data you have.
Fundamentals : necessary conditions
Doing exercise is necessary for being healthy but is not sufficient (you need ot
her things
a good diet)
GIving a treat to someone is sufficient to make him happy but is not necessary (
there are other ways
to make happy someone)
Fundamentals: Intrinsic And Instrumental Value
Intrinsic value - the value that something has in
itself
Instrumental value - the value that something
has because it helps us to get

or achieve some other thing.

Fundamentals: Implicit Premise
Implicit Argument
You shouldn't smoke because smoking will
damage your health.
Sometimes premises are uncontroversial
and obvious
Fundamentals: Justification and Explanation
If our beliefs and actions are justified we typically
are not criticized for them
Why you believe in Karma?
Because my parents taught me to believe it
That's an explanation for your beleif but not
a justification
Fundamentals: Normative and Descriptive Claims
Each claim we make can be sorted neatly into one
of two categories: It either describes something orit
evaluates something.
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Fundamentals Validity
An argument is valid if and only if its premises guarantee
the conclusion

.
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Validity of argument has nothing to do with
the true or the goodness of conclusion.
An argument is valid if and only if the truth of
its premises guarantees thetruth of its conclusion.


.

.
It's impossible for a valid argument to have all true
premises unless the conclusion is true
Truth And Validity
Fundamentals:Soundness
An argument is sound when it is valid and has all
true premises.
Fallacies:Formal and Informal
p1 If someone is allergic to peanuts then she

doesnt eat peanut butter

p2Jane doesnt eat peanut butter
CTherefore she is allergic to peanus
Affirming the consequent
Informal Falacy (A defect in its content)
Problem with the conclusion not with the form
Rain is wet
what is wet cannot be dry
Raint cannot be dry
Equivocation Fallacy
Fallacy of Composition
An informal fallacy that arises when we assume
that some whole has the same properties as
its parts.
P1 Atoms are colorless
P2 Cats are made of atoms
C1 Therefore, Cats are colorless
Fallacy of Division
It is when we assume that the parts of some whole must
have the same properties as the whole they make up.
Fallacies: Ad Hominem
Instead of focusing to the issue and the argument
you attack its source, the perrson.
1) Abusive ad Hominem
2) Circumstancial Ad Ho
3) Tu quoque
4)Guilt by association
5)Genetic Falacy
6) Ad Feminam
Abusive Ad Hominem
Personal characteristics of individuals
Circumstantial ad Hominem
Attempts to challenge a person's position
by suggesting that she is advancing it merely
to serve her own interests.
Summer vacation should be abolished. Any
student who argues otherwise should not be listend
because he or she stands to benefit because of this.
Tu quoque
One accuses a person of acting in a manner that
contradicts some position that she supports, and
concludes that her view is worthless
I can't believe you're trying to convince me that I
should give more money to charity when you don't
give nearly as much as I do

Guilt by association
Wheneer one tries to argue against a certain view
by pointing out that some unsavory person is
likely to have agreed with it
Genetic Falalcy
Whenever an attempt is made to cast a claim into
question by condemning its origin.
The founder of the organization spend time in
prison for embezzlement so we can conclude that
the organization still be corrupt
Ad Feminam
Attempt to discredit a claim on the grounds that
a female person proposed it.
Ad Hominem Part 2
1. Abusive - Attack or abuse the person making
the argument. I haven't criticized the argument
itself.
2.Circumstancial
I Attack the circumstance of someone, that he has
interests because of this argument, that's
why the argument is wrong.
3.Tu Quoquoe
Highlight that someone doesn't act in a way
that is consistent with the conclusion of the
argument.
4.Guilt by associate
Reject the argument because someone else who
is bad does it.