Components of & Barriers to Critical Thinking

1. Components of & Barriers to Critical Thinking 1. Frames of reference 2. Thinking patterns

2. Instinctual Thinking Patterns • Prejudice • Partisanship • Provincialism • Herd instinct • Availability Bias

3. Thinking & Reasoning • Critical thinking doesn’t come naturally. In fact, humans are instinctively terrible critical thinkers — we still have to overcome instincts to think critically. Critical thinking requires that we collect evidence from neutral sources, and make sure that we understand all sides of an issue. Unfortunately, the human brain is programmed to simplify. Unless we are vigilant, there are certain instinctual thought patterns that will derail our attempts at critical thinking. There are also thinking patterns that help us ensure that we are being critical thinkers and prevent us from “jumping to conclusions”.

4. Thinking Patterns: Soccer Analogy • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfduUFF_i1A&feature=fvst

5. Statements & Prepositions • Methods of expressing different kinds of knowledge • Logic • Formal logic: used to create proofs, language and rules of logic are concrete and used to come to conclusions • Informal logic: critical thinking

6. Formal Logic: Modus ponensIf P then Q. P, Therefore, Q. If this object is made of copper, it will conduct electricity. This object is made of copper, so it will conduct electricity. If there is no largest prime number, then 510511 is not the largest prime number. There is no largest prime number. Therefore 510511 is not the largest prime number. If Lam is a Buddhist then he should not eat pork. Lam is a Buddhist. Therefore Lam should not eat pork.

7. Affirming the consequent - If P then Q. Q. Therefore, P. This is a fallacy…not to be confused with modus ponens!! Logic of conclusion doesn’t match logic in the “law”. If Jane lives in London then Jane lives in England. Jane lives in England. Therefore Jane lives in London. If Jane has gone shopping then Daniel will be unhappy. Daniel is unhappy. So Jane has gone shopping.

8. Benefits of formal logic • Formal logic helps us identify patterns of “good” reasoning & patterns of “bad” reasoning, so we know which to follow &which to avoid. • Everyday users of formal logic: • Linguists, computer programmers, criminologists, police investigators, pharmacists, etc., etc., etc. • Many philosophers use formal logic when dealing with complicated philosophical problems, in order to make their reasoning more explicit and precise.

9. She’s a Witch More Monty Python http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp_l5ntikaU

10. How’s The Logic? Logic puzzles… Identify the logic & the fallacies Use the logic Remember we are assessing the LOGIC, not the conclusions. Question to Consider: Does logic come easily to you? Are you able to work through logic problems quickly? What helps?