CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO CRITICAL THINKING

1. What is critical thinking ?

- Critical thinking means thinking clearly and intelligently.
- Critical thinking is the general term given to a wide range of cognitive skills and intellectual
dispositions needed to effectively identify , analyze, evaluate arguments and truth claims; in order to:
+ discover and overcome personal perconceptions and biases
+ formulate and present convincing reasons in support of conclusions
+ make reasonable, intelligent decisions about what to believe and what to do
2. Critical thinking standards
- clarity - relevance - accuracy - completeness
- precision - consistency - logical correctness - fairness
3. Benefits of critical thinking
Critical thinking in the + understanding the arguments and beliefs of others.
classroom: + critically evaluating those arguments and belief.
+ developing and defending one’s own well-supported arguments and
beliefs

Critical thinking in the + improve knowledge for people to solve problems

workplace: + gather and analyze information
+ draw appropriate conclusions from data
+ communicate their ideas clearly and effectively

Critical thinking in life: + helps people avoid making foolish personal decisions
+ plays a vital role in promoting democratic processes.
+ allows us to lead self-directed, “examined” lives.
4. Barriers to critical thinking
a. Egocentrism (self-centered thinking)
Example 2 common forms of egocentrism
(1) Official staff often support tenure, high - self-interested thinking: the tendency to
salaries and have opportunities work in the long support to beliefs that
run. benefit oneself interest
(2) If asked about their level of English, many - self-serving bias: tendency to overrate
teachers tend to oneself.
rate themselves advance or excellent.

b. Sociocentrism (group-centered thinking)

Example 2 common varieties of sociocentrism
(1) Some people think their country, their - group bias: tendency to see one’s own better
hometown are better than other group
more beautiful than other places regardless of all (unconsciously)
the cons. - conformism: follow unthinking the crowd.
(2) One try to smoke, ignoring their health
problems because
the remaining of his group are all smokers .

c. Unwarranted Assumptions and Stereotypes

Example A common form of unwarranted
assumptions
Asians have a cash, Chinese people are loud - stereotype: are generalizations about a group
of people in which identical characteristics are
assigned to all/ virtually all members of the
group, often regard to whether such attributions
are accurate.

d. Relativistic Thinking
Example Two common forms of relativism
(1) Computer is good for Jane but bored for Marry - subjectivism: truth is a matter of individual
(both A and B opinion.
are correct) - cultural relativism: is a matter of social /
(2) Child are marriage in Indian or Vietnamese cultural opinion.
mountain

e. Wishful Thinking
Example Definition
believe in fortune teller word. - Wishful thinking: is believing sth because it
makes one feel good, not because there is good
reason for thinking that’s true.

5. Characteristics of a Critical Thinker

CHAPTER 2: RECOGNIZING ARGUMENTS
1. Statement
Definitions / Theories Example
- A statement is a sentence that can be viewed as (1) Red is color.
either true/ false. (2) Canada is in South America.
(3) God does not exist.
- Some situations are not all statement: (1) Question: What do you do ?
(2) Command: Please turn off the light. ; Close
the window.
(3) Suggestion/ Proposal: Let’s go to Alaska.
(4) Exclamation: What a good idea! ; Oh, my
godness!
(5) Greeting: Hi, Dad!
(6) Request: Please send me your catalog.
- Some sentences that look like nonstatements (1) A rhetorical question (Câu hỏi tu từ): You
are actually statements and can be used in should quit smoking. Don’t you realize that how
arguments: bad that is for your health?
(2) Ought imperative (Câu mệnh lệnh): Do not
read beauty magazines. They will only make you
feel ugly.

2. Distinguish between Arguments and Nonarguments

Arguments (Lập luận) Nonarguments
- Arguments are composed of one/ more - Sth doesn’t count as an argument when:
premises and a conclusion. + It is a group of two/ more statements.
+ One of those statements (the conclusion) is
claimed/ intended to be supported by the others
(the premises).
- Five types of nonarguments
Premises (Tiền đề) Conclusion (Kết luận) Report: + is simply to convey information
about a subject.
+ be careful with report about
arguments (according to …)
- Premises are - The conclusion is the Unsupport are statements that indicate what a
statements in an statement in an ed person believes but don’t offer
argument offered as argument that premises Assertions evidence for that belief.
evidence/ reasons are intended to prove/ :
why we should accept support. (Claims
another statement, the - Some common without
conclusion. conclusion indicators: proof)
- Some common + thus, hence, so, Illustratio are statements intended to provide
premise indicators: therefore, accordingly, n: examples of a claim, rather than
+ since, for, as, consequently,… evidence or proof for the claim.
inasmuch as, seeing + as a result, this being Explanatio are statements intended to explain
that, because,… so, this implies that, we ns: why sth is the case, rather than to
+ given that, may infer that,… prove that it is a case.
considering that, on Condition are statement about what a person
account of, as indicated al believes WITHOUT support ideas
by, in view of the fact Statement
that,… (If…
then…)
CHAPTER 3: BASIC LOGICAL CONCEPTS
1. Deductive arguments and Inductive arguments
Deductive arguments (Lập luận diễn dịch) Inductive arguments (Lập luận quy nạp)
- Deductive arguments try to prove their - Inductive arguments try to show that their
conclusions with rigorous, inescapable logic. conclusions are plausible / likely given the
premise(s).
- If the premises are true, then the conclusion - If the premises are true, then the conclusion is
must be true. probably true.
-> Aim for Certainty. -> Aim for probability.
- The conclusion follows necessarily from the - The conclusion follows probably from the
premises. premises.
- It's impossible for the premises to be true and - It is unlikely for the premises to be true and the
the conclusion false. conclusion false.
- It’s logically inconsistent to accept the premises - It’s logically consistent to accept the premises
and deny the conclusion. and deny the conclusion.
Some common indicators word test:
- certainly, definitely, absolutely, conclusively - probably, likely
- it logically follows that / it is logical to conclude - it is plausible to suppose that / it is reasonable
that to assume that
- this entails that / this logically implies that - chances are that /odds are that
- one would expect that
The strict necessity test
- The argument’s conclusion does follow with strict - The argument’s conclusion does not follow with
logical necessity strict logical necessity from its premises.
from its premises. Ex: Jill is a six-year-old girl. Therefore, Jill cannot
Ex: Alan is a father. Therefore, Alan is a male run a mile in one minute flat.
The common pattern test
Hypothetical Syllogism - Modus Ponens Inductive generalization (
(Tam đoạn luận theo giả định) - An argument in which a generalization is
claimed to be probably true based on information
about some members of a particular class
If A then B. If we are in Paris, then we are in Ex:
- All dinosaur bones so far discovered have been more than sixty-five
A is true. France. million
Therefore, B is We are in Paris is true. - years old.
Therefore, probably all dinosaur bones are more than sixty-fi ve million
true. Therefore, we are in France is true. years
a. Modus tollens (Mô hình từ chối hệ quả/ tiền đề) old.

- If we’re in Sacramento, then

If A then B. we’re in California.
Not B. - We’re not in California.
Therefore, not A. - Therefore, we’re not in
Sacramento.
b. Chain arguments (Mô hình chuỗi)
- If we don’t stop for gas soon,
then we’ll run out of gas.
If A then B.
- If we run out of gas, then we’ll be
If B then C.
late for the wedding.
Therefore, if A
- Therefore, if we don’t stop for
then C.
gas soon, we’ll be late for the
wedding.
c. Denying the antecedent (Từ chối tiền đề điều
kiện if)
If A then B. - If Shakespeare wrote War and
Not A. Peace, then he’s a great writer.
Therefore, not B. - Shakespeare didn’t write War
and Peace.
- Therefore, Shakespeare is not a
great writer.
d. Affirming the consequent (Khẳng định hệ quả)

If A then B. - If we’re on Neptune, then we’re

B. in the solar system.
Therefore, A. - We are in the solar system.
- Therefore, we’re on Neptune.
Categorical Syllogism
(Tam đoạn luận theo nhóm)
- Each statement begins with the word all, some, or
no.
Ex:
Some Democrats are elected officials.
All elected offi cials are politicians.
Therefore, some Democrats are politicians.

2.