The Structure of Critical Thinking

THE STRUCTURE OF ARGUMENTS IN CRITICAL

THINKING

RECAP

Inferences Fact Judgment Striking a balance between facts and

inferences for making judgments.

RECONSTRUCTING THE LOST TRIBE

• Based on the information given, characterize the society that uses this language.

• Examine and group the data; look for patterns.

• Draw inferences, depending only on the data given.

• Cite evidence to support these inferences--be sure to base all your conclusions on the linguistic evidence provided.

• Give a name to this tribe.

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THE STRUCTURE OF AN ARGUMENT

Argument: a rational piece of discourse– an attempt to persuade the reader/listener to

believe something. – Composed of PREMISES and CONCLUSIONS.

• Premise: assertions/ reasons that support the conclusion.

• Conclusion: KEY assertion that the other assertions--or the premises--support.



EXAMPLE:

“Because the poor spend proportionally more on their income on gambling than higher income groups and because gambling sends a “something for nothing” message that erodes the work ethic, government should take steps to contain and curtail the spread of gambling. – What are the premises here? The

conclusion?

STANDARD FORM Reducing an argument to its premises

and conclusions. Outline of an argument.

– Premise 1: the poor spend proportionally more on their income on gambling than higher income groups

– Premise 2: gambling sends a “something for nothing” message that erodes the work ethic

– ∴ , government should take steps to contain and curtail the spread of gambling.

APPEAL TO FEAR



in which aperson attempts to create support for his or her idea by using deception and propaganda in attempts to increase fear and prejudice toward a competitor.

Either P or Q is true. Q is frightening. Therefore, P is true.

On October 7, 2002 George W. Bush made this statement in an address to the nation:"Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof - the smoking gun - that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud. After 11 years of living with this problem, why do we need to confront it now? There is a reason. We have experienced the horror of September 11."

This can be decomposed into these elements:

Predicate 1: We have clear evidence of peril Predicate 2: Evidence could come in the form of a mushroom cloud Predicate 3: We have experienced the horror of September 11 Therefore: We cannot wait, we must confront this problem now.

APPEAL TO AUTHORITY

Here it is argued that a statement is correct because the statement is made by a person or source that is commonly regarded as authoritative. The most general structure of this argument is:

Source A says that p is true. Source A is authoritative. Therefore, p is true.



APPEAL TO PITY An appeal to pity (also called argumentum

ad misericordiam) is a fallacy in which someone tries to win support for an argument or idea by exploiting her or his opponent's feelings of pity or guilt. The appeal to pity is a specific kind of appeal to emotion.



Naging Mahirap

Nakaligo ka na ba sa dagat ng basura? Nag-Pasko ka na ba sa gitna ng kalsada? Yan ang tanong namin, Tunay ka bang isa sa amin?

Nalaman mo na bang mapapag-aral ka nya? Tutulungan tayo para magka-trabaho? At kanyang plano’y magka-bahay tayo?



Si Villar ang tunay na mahirap. si Villar ang tunay na may malasakit. Si Villar ang may kakayahan At gumawa ng sariling pangalan.

Si Manny Villar ang magtatapos ng ating kahirapan.

REVIEW

Argument Conclusion & Premise Deconstructing arguments to

standard form 3 types of fallacious arguments

ARGUMENTS SHOULD..

Be complete!– well supported with

premises.– State clear

conclusions.

HIDDEN ASSUMPTIONS

Hidden assumptions are unstated premises and conclusions.

These assertions are necessary to recognize in order to fully understand an argument.

At the heart of critical thinking lies in the ability to discern what a writer leaves IMPLICIT--what is unsaid--between the lines of what s/he has made EXPLICIT--what s/he has clearly said.



Example 1

The thief had long curly hair, so Jamby wasn’t the thief.

MISSING PREMISE.

The thief had curly hair.

Jamby does not have curly hair.

Jamby was not the thief.



Example 2 Ted is lazy and

lazy people won’t last here.

(MISSING CONCLUSION)

Ted is lazy. Lazy people won’t

last here. Ted won’t last

here.



Example 3

Yon Cassius has a lean and hungry look; such men are dangerous. --William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar

(Missing CONCLUSION)

Cassius has a lean and hungry look

Men with lean and hungry looks are dangerous.

Cassius is a dangerous man.





You’re likeA brother to me.

Is she tryingto tell

me something?

There is 1 missing premise & 1 missing conclusion. What do you think they are?

DANGERS OF HIDDEN ASSUMPTIONS

Rene is Pia’s father, so clearly he is obligated to support her. – What is missing here? – Is the premise it hinges upon acceptable

under ALL CONDITIONS?

Sometimes assumptions are hidden in order to MANIPULATE public opinion--particularly in the realm of advertising.

Example: Dear Abby Abigail Van Buren of the advice column

“Dear Abby” got into some controversy because of a response she made to a man who complained that because he shared an apartment with a man, people thought he was gay.

In response to this, she replied that the rumor that he was gay was an “ugly accusation”.

WHY WAS HER REPLY SO CONTROVERSIAL? WHAT WAS HER HIDDEN ASSUMPTION?

Hidden assumptions and the standard Form

Products made from natural ingredients promote good health, so you should buy Brand X bread. – Premise 1: – Premise 2(missing): – ∴,

MANNY VILLAR AD WHAT IS THE HIDDEN ASSUMPTION?



SI VILLAR ANG TUNAY NA MAHIRAP

Si Manny Villar ang magtatapos ng ating

kahirapan.

Only someone who has experienced

real poverty can end poverty.

Robert Redford’s Daughter Rescued

SALT LAKE CITY--Shauna Redford, daughter of actor Robert Redford, was rescued when her car plunged into river, authorities said yesterday.

They said Redford was wearing a seatbelt and suffered only minor injuries in the accident Friday. She was rescued by 3 other motorists. She was held at a hospital overnight for observation and released.

Last summer, Sidney Wells, 22, a student who dated Shauna Redford, was shot and killed in Boulder.Police said the killing may have been drug related.

WHAT IS THE HIDDEN ASSUMPTION THE ARTICLE IS LEADING US TO?

MALE, ADMU STUDENT, 19, 5’11. Interested in music, religion, literature, existentialism, nature, etc. Seeks Mestiza girl with beautiful soul--witty, pretty, intellectual, virtuous. For fun, friendship, maybe more.

MALE, DOWN4SUMCRAZYNESS IF your down to laugh and just be crazy wit a cool dude, lemme know and hitme up.

I am petite, i.e. 5'4'', red hair/blue eyes and a daily runner - 2-4 miles - in great shape. I am not a supermodel - but I'm not a monster either. Please be a professional, financially secure caucasian, Indian or Asian male who is single. Thanks.

ME- 25, single, italian, curves in the right places, tall, good dresser, great smile, brown hair and eyes. YOU- over 25 to about 35, no kids, no marriages, no crazy exes, attractive, romantic, patient, tall. Call me for the time of your life.

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The Structure of Critical Thinking