18 SMART THINKING: SKILLS FOR CRITICAL UNDERSTANDING & WRITING
paper to save trees' expresses a value judgment ('it is good to save trees'). But, to
complicate matters many, and perhaps even all, claims have some implicit value
judgment. Often we find an implicit value judgment in the words that make up the
claim. For example, 'This book is comprehensive' implies some positive value
judgment, whereas 'This book provides only an outline of reasoning techniques'
implies a more negative value judgment. So, really, there are two main sorts of value
claims: those that explicitly declare a value judgment, and those whose value
judgment is hidden in the choice of words.
There are also some claims that can legitimately be called descriptive claims.
Yet, even then, claims are almost always found in combination with other claims.
So, if there is one value claim among a series of claims, then all of them tend to
create an implied value judgment. Here we can see that the context in which we
find a claim—the purposes and processes by which a text, containing many linked
claims, is produced and received—plays a very significant role. Claims that appear
to their author as descriptive may, in the context provided by their readers,
suddenly acquire value judgments. Hence, judgments of value can rarely be made
solely on the basis of one claim; they depend on the other claims with which the
claim is linked (the text) and the circumstances in which that text is presented (the
context). Being alert to the value judgments that you read and make is a skilled
smart thinking attribute.
Exercise 2.6
Decide which of these four claims are explicit value claims and which are implicit
value claims that appear to be descriptive claims. You may also decide that some of
the claims are purely descriptive and contain no value judgments. Then write three
claims of your own, one of which is explicitly a value claim, one of which has a clear
implied value judgment, and one of which is, in your opinion, clearly descriptive.
a. Fatty foods are bad for you.
b. Regular cows' milk contains fat.
c. You should drink milk each day.
d. Regular cows' milk is a white liquid.Claims and reasoning
Using claims as conclusions and premises
We know that reasoning is, put simply, giving reasons for one's views. We reason,
therefore, by linking claims together to form a text in which most of the linked
claims provide a reason or reasons for accepting another claim, or the linked claims
explain why another claim can be made. For example, if I said Australia should
become a republic', it would only be natural for you to ask 'why?', which would
prompt me to give you a reason: that Australia's economic relationship with Asia