Caitlins Powerpoint

What have we learned so far?

Ten key concepts you should understand at this point in the class…

Critical thinking is a skill

• We are not born with critical thinking skills, we develop them.

• We may be born with a potential but we develop the ability to effectively use that intelligence into what we call critical thinking.

Critical Thinking deals with Validity

• Critical thinking is an external process that looks to information and data to determine which conclusion is most valid, or if a conclusion is valid enough for us to act by making a decision.

• Searching for validity is a scientific process we can explore, while searching for Truth is more of a spiritual journey.

Critical Thinking means never being 100% sure.

• When we are 100% sure we are not open to new possibilities or new information.

• Critical thinking is the ability to challenge one's most deepest held beliefs.

Continuum of Certainty

• There are degrees of validity and that point on the continuum where a person is convinced is called the Threshold.

• The Threshold is different for different people and can even change for the same person.

Understanding the different parts to an argument

• Can reveal the strengths and weaknesses to an argument.

• If there are reservations there is a qualifier to indicate the validity, or how sure we can be, of a claim.

A claim is a statement against the status quo.

• Most important, a claim is a statement, not a question.

• A claim is the focus of an argument with just two sides. One side for the claim and one side against the claim.

We argue three types of claims.

• We argue topics of Fact, Value and Policy.

• To be effective, we need to know which type of argument we are experiencing.

Participants have argumentative burdens.

• The person proving the claim has the burden of proof. If he tries to make the other side of the argument prove the claim is not valid, then he is attempting to "switch the burden of proof."

• If you defend the status quo, you have the burden of presumption.

Issues are questions and crucial to making decisions.

• The key is discovering the important questions inherent to the claim that need to be answered. These issues must be specific and neutral.

• It is the answer to these issues that allow for effective decision making.

There is a difference between being knowledgeable, intelligent and thinking. • No matter how knowledgeable you

are or the level of your "natural intelligence," if you haven't trained your thinking ability, you are like a great athlete who never trains and eats nothing but fast foods. The athlete has great potential, but never maximizes that potential.

Mostly written by profjim with some changes by Caitlin Swan.

May 15, 2010