Critical Thinking
by Bowell, Tracy; Kemp, GaryFormat: Paperback
Pub. Date: 2001-12-26
Publisher(s): Routledge
Other versions by this Author
List Price: $30.98
Rent Textbook
Select for Price
New Textbook
We're Sorry
Sold Out
Used Textbook
We're Sorry
Sold Out
eTextbook
We're Sorry
Not Available
How Marketplace Works:
- This item is offered by an independent seller and not shipped from our warehouse
- Item details like edition and cover design may differ from our description; see seller's comments before ordering.
- Sellers much confirm and ship within two business days; otherwise, the order will be cancelled and refunded.
- Marketplace purchases cannot be returned to eCampus.com. Contact the seller directly for inquiries; if no response within two days, contact customer service.
- Additional shipping costs apply to Marketplace purchases. Review shipping costs at checkout.
Summary
Critical Thinking is a much-needed guide to thinking skills and above all to thinking critically for oneself. Through clear discussion, students learn the skills required to tell a good argument from a bad one.Key features include:*jargon-free discussion of key concepts in argumentation*how to avoid confusions surrounding words such as 'truth', 'knowledge' and 'opinion'*how to identify and evaluate the most common types of argument*how to spot fallacies in arguments and tell good reasoning from bad*topical examples from politics, sport, medicine, music*chapter summaries, glossary and exercisesCritical Thinking is essential reading for anyone, student or professional, seeking to improve their reasoning and arguing skills.
Author Biography
Tracy Bowell is lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Waikato, New Zealand Gary Kemp is senior lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Glasgow, UK
Table of Contents
| Preface to the first edition | p. vii |
| Preface to the second edition | p. ix |
| Introduction and preview | p. x |
| Why should we become critical thinkers? | p. 1 |
| Beginning to think critically | |
| Aspects of meaning | |
| Standard form | |
| Identifying conclusions and premises | |
| Arguments and explanations | |
| Intermediate conclusions | |
| Linguistic phenomena | |
| Logic: deductive validity | p. 43 |
| The principle of charity | |
| Truth | |
| Deductive validity | |
| Conditional propositions | |
| Deductive soundness | |
| The connection to formal logic | |
| Argument trees | |
| Logic: inductive force | p. 80 |
| Inductive force | |
| 'All', 'most' and 'some' | |
| Soft generalisations | |
| Inductive soundness | |
| Probability in the premises | |
| Arguments with multiple probabilistic premises | |
| Inductive force in extended arguments | |
| Conditional probability in the conclusion | |
| Evidence | |
| Inductive inferences | |
| A programme for assessment | |
| Rhetorical ploys and fallacies | p. 113 |
| Rhetorical ploys | |
| Fallacies | |
| Further fallacies | |
| The practice of argument-reconstruction | p. 168 |
| Extraneous material | |
| Defusing the rhetoric | |
| Logical streamlining | |
| Implicit and explicit | |
| Connecting premises | |
| Covering generalisations | |
| Relevance | |
| Ambiguity and vagueness | |
| More on generalisations | |
| Practical reasoning | |
| Balancing costs, benefits and probabilities | |
| Explanations as conclusions | |
| Causal generalisations | |
| A shortcut | |
| Issues in argument assessment | p. 226 |
| Rational persuasiveness | |
| Some strategies for logical assessment | |
| Refutation by counterexample | |
| Avoiding the 'who is to say?' criticism | |
| Don't merely label the position | |
| Argument commentary | |
| A complete example | |
| Commentary on the commentary | |
| Truth, knowledge and belief | p. 261 |
| Truth and relativity | |
| True for me, true for you | |
| Truth, value and morality | |
| Belief, justification and truth | |
| Justification without arguments | |
| Knowledge | |
| Justification failure | |
| Knowledge and rational persuasiveness | |
| Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved. |
An electronic version of this book is available through VitalSource.
This book is viewable on PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and most smartphones.
By purchasing, you will be able to view this book online, as well as download it, for the chosen number of days.
Digital License
You are licensing a digital product for a set duration. Durations are set forth in the product description, with "Lifetime" typically meaning five (5) years of online access and permanent download to a supported device. All licenses are non-transferable.
More details can be found here.
A downloadable version of this book is available through the eCampus Reader or compatible Adobe readers.
Applications are available on iOS, Android, PC, Mac, and Windows Mobile platforms.
Please view the compatibility matrix prior to purchase.