Asking the right questions : a guide to critical thinking

Preface Key ongoing features of Asking the Right Questions The special features of this new edition Chapter 1: The Benefit and Manner of Asking the Right Questions The Sponge and Panning for Gold: Alternative Thinking Styles Tan Example of the Panning for Gold Approach The Myth of the "Right Answer" The Usefulness of Asking the Question: "Who Cares? " Weak-Sense and Strong-Sense Critical Thinking The Satisfaction of Panning for Gold The Importance of Practice The Right Questions Critical Thinking is a Social Activity Values and Other People The Primary Values of a Critical Thinker Thinking and Feeling Keeping the Conversation Going Creating a Friendly Environment for Communication Wishful Thinking: Perhaps the Biggest Single Obstacle to Critical Thinking Chapter 2: What are the Issue and the Conclusion? Kinds of Issues Searching for the Issue Searching for the Author's or Speaker's Conclusion USING THIS CRITICAL QUESTION Clues to Discovery: How to Find the Conclusion Critical Thinking and Your Own Writing and Speaking Narrowing Your Issue Prior to Writing Practice Exercises Sample Responses Chapter 3: What Are the Reasons? Initiating the Questioning Process Words that Identify Reasons Kinds of Reasons Keeping the Reasons and Conclusions Straight USING THIS CRITICAL QUESTION Critical Thinking and Your Own Writing and Speaking Practice Exercises Sample Responses Chapter 4: What Words or Phrases Are Ambiguous? The Confusing Flexibility of Words Locating Key Terms and Phrases Checking for Ambiguity USING THIS CRITICAL QUESTION Determining Ambiguity Context and Ambiguity USING THIS CRITICAL QUESTION Ambiguity, Definitions, and the Dictionary Ambiguity and Loaded Language Limits of Your Responsibility to Clarify Ambiguity Ambiguity and Your Own Writing and Speaking Practice Exercises Sample Responses Chapter 5: What Are the Value and Descriptive Assumptions? General Guide for Identifying Assumptions Value Conflicts and Assumptions From Values to Value Assumptions Typical Value Conflicts The Communicator's Background as a Clue to Value Assumptions Consequences as Clues to Value Assumptions More Hints for Finding Value Assumptions Finding Value Assumptions on Your Own USING THIS CRITICAL QUESTION Values and Relativism Identifying and Evaluating Descriptive Assumptions Illustrating Descriptive Assumptions Clues for Locating Assumptions Avoiding Analysis of Trivial Assumptions Practice Exercises Sample Responses Chapter 6: Are There Any Fallacies in the Reasoning? A Questioning Approach to Finding Reasoning Fallacies Evaluating Assumptions as a Starting Point Discovering Other Common Reasoning Fallacies Looking for Diversions Sleight of Hand: Begging the Question USING THIS CRITICAL QUESTION Summary of Reasoning Errors Expanding Your Knowledge of Fallacies Fallacies and Your Own Writing and Speaking Practice Exercises Sample Responses Chapter 7: How Good Is the Evidence: Intuition, Personal Experience, Case Examples, Testimonials, and Appeals to Authority? The Need for Evidence Locating Factual Claims Sources of Evidence Intuition as Evidence Personal Experience as Evidence Case Examples as Evidence Testimonials as Evidence Appeals to Authority as Evidence USING THIS CRITICAL QUESTION EVIDENCE AND YOUR WRITING AND SPEAKING Practice Exercises Sample Responses Chapter 8: How Good Is the Evidence: Personal Observation, Research Studies, and Analogies? Personal Observation Research Studies as Evidence Problems with Research Findings Generalizing from the Research Sample Biased Surveys and Questionnaires Critical Evaluation of a Research-Based Argument Analogies as Evidence Identifying and Comprehending Analogies Evaluating Analogies USING EVIDENCE IN YOUR OWN WRITING Research and the Internet Practice Exercises Sample Responses Chapter 9: Are There Rival Causes? When to Look For Rival Causes The Pervasiveness of Rival Causes Detecting Rival Causes The Cause or a Cause Rival Causes for Differences Between Groups Confusing Causation with Association Confusing "After this" with "Because of this" Explaining Individual Events or Acts Evaluating Rival Causes RIVAL CAUSES AND YOUR OWN COMMUNICATIoN Exploring Potential Causes Narrowing Down Your List of Potential Causes Practice Exercises Sample Responses Chapter 10: Are the Statistics Deceptive? Unknowable and Biased Statistics Confusing Averages Concluding One Thing, Proving Another Deceiving by Omitting Information Risk Statistics and Omitted Information USING STATISTICS IN YOUR WRITING Practice Exercises Sample Responses Chapter 11: What Significant Information is Omitted? The Benefits of Detecting Omitted Information The Certainty of Incomplete Reasoning Questions that Identify Omitted Information The Importance of the Negative View Omitted Information That Reminas Missing MISSING INFORMATION IN YOUR OWN ARGUMENTS USING THIS CRITICAL QUESTION Practice Exercises Sample Responses Chapter 12: What Reasonable Conclusions Are Possible? Assumptions and Multiple Conclusions Dichotomous Thinking: Impediment to Considering Multiple Conclusions Two Sides or Many? Searching for Multiple Conclusions Productivity of If-Clauses Alternative Solutions as Conclusions The Liberating Effect of Recognizing Alternative Conclusions All Conclusions Are Not Created Equal Summary Practice Exercises Sample Respones Final Word