Thinking Skills: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

2.7 Conclusions 55 • On its own the simple act of saying what is so, or what is not so, can be judged neither right nor wrong. ...

56 Unit 2 Critical thinking: the basics 2 Train fares differ enormously, with the most expensive always applying when people hav ...

2.7 Conclusions 57 Which of the following best expresses the conclusion of the argument? A It is nonsense to say that we must be ...

58 Unit 2 Critical thinking: the basics grounds (or evidence) for arguing that global warming is taking place. The phrase ‘must ...

2.8 Reasons 59 Its orbiting of the Sun justifies the claim that Mars is a planet. If I did not already know that Mars was a plan ...

60 Unit 2 Critical thinking: the basics Example [7] is another very interesting case. If either of the sentences is a reason for ...

2.8 Reasons 61 meaning of a claim. It is also difficult to see how a genuine question – with no obvious answer – could be ground ...

62 Unit 2 Critical thinking: the basics 4 Try to find – or invent – an argument in which the conclusion is supported by an ex ...

2.9 Assumptions 63 Two kinds of ‘assumption’ We can see therefore that an assumption can be explicit (stated) or implicit (unsta ...

64 Unit 2 Critical thinking: the basics Is this a sound argument? As it stands, no: it is incomplete. Without an additional prem ...

2.9 Assumptions 65 Those who are fearful of the internet should therefore stop worrying about its dangers and acknowledge that, ...

66 Unit 2 Critical thinking: the basics first encountered in Chapter 2.6 about prize money in tennis. Here it is again: [5] Top ...

2.9 Assumptions 67 Read the following passage and discuss one or more major assumptions underlying the argument. Consider too ho ...

68 Unit 2 Critical thinking: the basics opposite assumption that no one has the right to own a piece of land and keep others fro ...

2.9 Assumptions 69 alcohol sweet and fruit-flavoured you are encouraging children to drink it. Therefore its sale should be bann ...

70 Unit 2 Critical thinking: the basics ‘fallacies’. A fallacy is a flawed line of reasoning. Because it is very often not possi ...

2.10 Flaws and fallacies 71 Not studying may have worked for Beth, just as ignoring advice worked for Amulk, but that doesn’t me ...

72 Unit 2 Critical thinking: the basics arguments. Flaws occur when weak claims are expected to provide support for strong claim ...

2.10 Flaws and fallacies 73 Commentary We will take the options one at a time. A does not expose any flaw in the argument becaus ...

74 Unit 2 Critical thinking: the basics and not permitted to reopen until it has been given a certificate of fitness from hygien ...