Lesson 4: Critical Thinking Skills and Some Fallacies

Critical Thinking Skills and Some Fallacies

​Critical Thinking is a Skill

Critical thinking is a skill that we must learn, not an inherent human trait. In fact, our intuitions, instincts, and "common sense" are often wrong and need to be evaluated critically in order to determine whether there is any truth to them.​

​Skepticism

In order to exercise critical thinking, we must utilize skepticism. Skepticism is the withholding of judgment of a claim until the evidence is convincing in either affirming or denying the claim.​ With skepticism as our starting point, we can more accurately evaluate claims that must be supported.

​Burden of Proof

The burden of proof is an oft-used phrase which gets misrepresented more often than not. The burden of proof is on the one making the claim in the affirmative (that is, the one making a positive claim).

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​Positive does not mean "upbeat," or "yes-based," but something else.

​Positive in Philosophy

​The word positive in philosophy has more to do with what is rather than being a statement about what is. So, positive law is the law as it is. So, a positive claim is not a statement about "how well things are going," but rather a claim about reality that defines reality as having or not having particular characteristics.

​Examples of Positive Claims:

​"God exists." This statement makes the claim about reality that God does, in fact, exist.

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​"God does not exist." This statement makes the claim about reality that God does, in fact, not exist.

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​"The carpet in Mr. Davis' room is blue." This statement makes the claim about reality that my carpet is blue and not green.

​Supporting Claims

We support claims using evidence. Evidence cannot include the claim itself (a logical fallacy), nor can the claim be part or all of the conclusion​ of an argument.

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​Examples of Supporting Positive Claims:

​"God exists." This statement requires evidence. Apologists tend to use logic or metaphysical, ethical, or epistemological arguments since God cannot be measured and scientifically tested.

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​"God does not exist." Same as above.

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​"The carpet in Mr. Davis' room is blue." This statement requires evidence. Evidence for this claim could include showing someone the carpet in my room or analyzing the wavelengths of light reflecting off the carpet in my room.

Multiple Choice

True or False:

The burden of proof rests on the person refuting a claim.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False:

Positive claims are claims about the way the world is.

• True

• False

Fill in the Blank

We should approach all new claims with _________________.

​Begging the Question

Begging the question is a logical fallacy in which the arguer presents the conclusion of the argument as a premise of the argument. This can also be called circular reasoning.​

​Appeal to Authority

Arguments made must stand on their own, not on the position of the person making them. This is called the appeal to authority. This does not give us an out to believing and trusting experts in their fields (since they would have more evidence for their arguments than a layman anyway).

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​However, we cannot only point to an authority making an argument to support an argument unless their is no other supporting evidence (for instance, the function of atoms viewed through electron microscopes).

​Appeal to Authority

Other issues with the appeal to authority is that some people will use authority in one area to claim authority in unrelated areas. This is a mixture of an appeal to authority and the next fallacy, the non sequitur. (For instance, the guy to the right is not a doctor, but an actor dressed as one)

​Non Sequitur

​An argument which has a conclusion that does not follow from the premises is called a non sequitur (meaning, "not in sequence"). We see non sequitur arguments all the time, but typically repeat them if we like the conclusion or dismiss them if we don't. Usually, consideration of the logic involved isn't in question if non sequiturs are taken seriously.