Synopses & Reviews
This clear, learner-friendly text helps today's students bridge the gap between everyday culture and critical thinking. The text covers all the basics of critical thinking, beginning where students are, not where we think they should be. Its comprehensiveness allows instructors to tailor the material to their individual teaching styles, resulting in an exceptionally versatile text.
About the Author
Gregory Bassham is Director of the Center for Ethics and Public Life and Chair of the Philosophy Department at Kings College (Pa.). He is the co-editor of The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy (Open Court, 2003), author of Original Intent and the Constitution: A Philosophical Study (Rowman and Littlefield, 1992), and co-editor of Powerweb: Critical Thinking (McGraw-Hill, 2003-2004).William Irwin is Associate Professor of Philosophy at King's College and Series Editor of Open Court's Popular Culture and Philosophy. Co-editor of The Simpsons and Philosophy (Open Court, 2001), his most recent book, The Matrix and Philosophy, was a New York Times Bestseller.Henry Nardone is Professor of Philosophy at King's College. His publications include scholarly articles on critical thinking and aesthetics.James M. Wallace is Professor of English at King's College. Author of Parallel Lives: A Novel Way to Learn Thinking and Writing (1999), Jim's essay, "A (Karl Not Groucho) Marxist in Springfield," appeared in The Simpsons and Philosophy (Open Court, 2001).
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction to Critical Thinking
What Is Critical Thinking?Critical Thinking StandardsThe Benefits of Critical ThinkingBarriers to Critical ThinkingCharacteristics of a Critical Thinker Chapter 2: Recognizing Arguments
What Is an Argument?Identifying Premises and ConclusionsWhat Is Not an Argument? Chapter 3: Basic Logical ConceptsDeduction and InductionHow Can We Tell Whether an Argument is Deductive or Inductive?Common Patterns of Deductive Reasoning Common Patterns of Inductive Reasoning Deductive Validity Inductive Strength Chapter 4: Language Finding the Right Words: The Need for Precision The Importance of Precise Definitions Emotive