Ideological Reasoning: Evaluating Beliefs and Actions

2. Chapter 13 Ideological Reasoning

3. Learning Outcomes Explain ideological reasoning and its implications for beliefs and actions Apply correctly the criteria for the evaluation of ideological reasoning Describe the uses, benefits, and risks of ideological reasoning

4. Chapter Opening Video

5. Recognizing Ideological Reasoning Examples of ideological reasoning Features of ideological reasoning

6. Examples of Ideological Reasoning • Immigration policy • Person illegally entering the country is breaking the law and is a criminal • I support the amendment that requires incarceration and deportation of all illegal immigrants • Government policies and laws that destroy the family unit are bad • I oppose the amendment which would separate a family apart by deporting a parent or child

7. Examples of Ideological Reasoning • Human nature • People are fundamentally good and it is wrong to take away people’s freedom • I support individuals who maximize individual liberties • People are fundamentally bad • Additional individual liberty will lead to greater societal disintegration

8. Ideological Reasoning

9. Features of Ideological Reasoning • Deductive in character • Conclusions of arguments are presented as certainties • Ideologues seek facts that support their points of view • Arguments move from general ideas to specific applications

10. Features of Ideological Reasoning • Ideological premises are axiomatic • Assumptions are community’s or individual’s beliefs and core values • Ideas or beliefs used to initiate arguments represent: • Axioms that contribute other ideas

11. Features of Ideological Reasoning • Argument maker takes the ideological absolutes on faith • Ideological thinkers: • Try to bend science to fit preconceptions • Regard absolutes as immune from disconfirmation

12. Evaluating Ideological Reasoning Are the ideological premises true? Logical strength and ideological belief systems Relevancy, non-circularity, and ideological reasoning

13. Applying the Test of Truthfulness of the Premises

14. Are the Ideological Premises True? • Test involves considering all premises • Possibilities in applying the Test of the Truthfulness of the Premises • Speaker does not back a given premise • Argument maker is the source of the premise • Cite a source trusted by the speaker • Argument maker’s reason for the truthfulness of premise

15. Logical Strength and Ideological Belief Systems • Ideological arguments are product of deductive reasoning • Exhibit reasonable levels of logical strength • Ideological belief structures contain internal contradictions • Resolved by debate and examination of documents

16. Relevancy, Non-circularity, and Ideological Reasoning Test of Relevancy yields unambiguously positive results Non-circularity produces consternation

17. Benefits of Ideological Reasoning • Ideologies define and shape communities • Provide individuals a strong sense of identity • Ideological convictions enable to escape the suffocating malaise of relativism • Ideological reasoning offers an efficient way of addressing novel questions

18. Discussion Questions • Kate Kelly faced excommunication for publically advocating gender equality within the practice of Mormonism • A spokeswoman for the Church said no person can “dictate to God what is right for his Church” • Can a person change their core religious, national or political identity? • Can they become someone other than who they were born and raised to be?

19. Risks of Ideological Reasoning Ideological reasoning is powerfully persuasive Ideological belief structures are socially normative Ideological reasoning constrains and empowers

20. Sketchnote Video