SUBJECT: READING AND WRITING

DATE: W7 Q1 S1
LESSON: CRITICAL THINKING AS A FORM OF REASONING

What is the meaning of the word 1. Inclined to find fault or to judge with severity, often too readily
CRITICAL? 2. Occupied with or skilled in criticism
3. Involving skillful judgment as to truth, merit, and/or judicial
4. Providing textual variants, proposed emendations, etc.

What makes an individual a 1. seeing different sides of an argument and seeking to present a
CRITICAL? balanced view
2. finding fault with the arguments, analyses, and interpretations
3. involves always supporting your arguments with clear factual
evidence
4. separating facts about how the world is, from values regarding
how it should be

What is CRITICAL THINKING? 1. an intellectually disciplined process

2. conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or
evaluating information
3. Observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or
communication, as a guide to belief and action

A critical thinker possesses the 1. Understands the relation of one idea to another;
following characteristics 2. Determines the importance and relevance of ideas and
arguments;
3. Recognizes, builds and appraises arguments;
4. Identifies inconsistencies and errors in reasoning;
5. Approaches problems in a consistent and systematic way;
6. Reflects on the justification of his own assumptions, beliefs,
and values.

What is CRITICAL READING? 1. Involves presenting a reasoned argument that evaluates and
analyses is being read.
2. Means advancing your understanding, not dismissing and
therefore closing off learning.
3. to exercise your judgement about what you are reading

What are LOGICAL FALLACIES? 1. Fallacies are common errors in reasoning that will undermine
the logic of your argument.
2. Fallacies can be either illegitimate arguments or irrelevant
points, and are often identified because they lack evidence that
supports their claim.

15 Common Logical Fallacies ● Ad Hominem

● Red Herring Fallacy
● Strawman Argument
● Tu Quoque
● Appeal to Ignorance
● Causal Fallacy
● False Dilemma
● Fallacy of Sunk Costs
 ● Slippery Slope Fallacy
● Appeal to Authority
● Circular Argument
● Equivocation
● Hasty Generalization
● Appeal to Pity
● Bandwagon Fallacy

1. Ad Hominem Fallacy This is an attack on the character of a person rather than his or her
opinions or arguments.
- “Green Peace's strategies aren't effective because they are all
dirty, lazy hippies.”

2. Strawman Argument This move oversimplifies an opponent's viewpoint and then attacks
that hollow argument.
- “People who don't support the proposed state minimum wage
increase hate the poor."

3. Appeal to Ignorance This fallacy occurs when you argue that your conclusion must be true,
because there is no evidence against it.
- “No one has ever proven that UFOs haven't visited earth yet,
so I believe that they have.”

4. False Dilemma Also referred to as false dichotomy, is an informal fallacy based on a

premise that erroneously limits what options are available.
- “Vote for me or live through four more years of higher taxes.
America: Love it or leave it.”

5. Slippery Slope Fallacy This implies that the end result of today's actions could be something
terrible.
- "If I give you a raise, then I have to give everyone a raise, and
then the company will go bankrupt.”

6. Circular Argument This restates the argument rather than actually proving it.
- “George Bush is a good communicator because he speaks
effectively.”

7. Hasty Generalization This occurs when someone reaches a conclusion that is not justified
logically by objective or sufficient evidence.
- Dozens of poor families come to my grandfather for financial
help. All poor people depend on other people for their living.
-
8. Bandwagon Fallacy This is an appeal that presents what most people think in order to
persuade one to think the same way.
- If you were a true American you would support the rights of
people to choose whatever vehicle they want.

9. Red Herring Fallacy This is a diversionary tactic that avoids the key issues, often by
avoiding opposing arguments rather than addressing them.
- “The level of mercury in seafood may be unsafe, but what will
fishers do to support their families?”

10. Tu Quoque It means "you too," and consists of responding to allegations of wrong
doing by saying, in essence, "you do the same thing."
- “Mother: You should stop smoking. It's harmful to your health.
 Daughter: Why should I listen to you? You started smoking
when you were 16!”

11. Causal Fallacy The fallacy of causation is an error in reasoning in which the order of
events is mistaken for causation.

- Every day, I eat cereal for breakfast. One time, I had a muffin
instead, and there was a major earthquake in my city. I've
eaten cereal ever since.

12. Fallacy of Sunk Costs “Sunk cost” is an economic term for any past expenses that can no
longer be recovered.
- “Although you should be going to your appointment instead,
you decide to see the movie because you don't want the ticket
or money you spent on it to go to waste.”

13. Appeal to Authority It is a form of argument in which the opinion of an authority on a topic
is used as evidence to support an argument.
- "A commercial claims that a specific brand of cereal is the best
way to start the day because athlete Michael Jordan says that
it is what he eats every day for breakfast.”

14. Equivocation It occurs when a key term or phrase in an argument is used in an

ambiguous way, with one meaning in one portion of the argument and
then another meaning in another portion of the argument.

15. Appeal to Pity It is a fallacy in which someone tries to win support for an argument or
idea by exploiting his opponent's feelings of pity or guilt.
- Example: A police officer is about to issue a ticket to a man
who was speeding. As the officer checks his license, the man
pleads…
- “I was just taking my son to the movies. He turned 7 today and
it’s his first time going to the cinema. C’mon now officer, you
wouldn’t ruin this special occasion, would you?”