Symbolic and Critical Reasoning - IAP 101

The Importance of Critical Questions

Todays Class
Introductions and syllabus Why Critical Thinking? Epistemology - How do we know what we know In Class Reflection The Benefit of Asking the Right Questions Paper Discussion and Collegiate Writing

Epistemology
How do you know what you know? 4 Ways of knowing information - 4 Epistemologies Authority Empiricism Intuition Innatism

Epistemology
Authority (Authoritarianism) Definition: A source outside of ourselves that gives us information. Advantages: 1. Efficient. 2. Provides inaccessible information. 3. Provides context - past, present, future. Disadvantages: 1. Knowledge from an authority is only as good/reliable as the source. 2. Authority can be confused with power. 3. Suspension of ones judgment.

Epistemology
Empiricism Definition: Knowing by your senses (science!) Advantages: 1. Theres no source like authority. 2. No agenda or purpose. 3. The senses can work together to provide a bigger picture about what you are seeing. Disadvantages: 1. There are many things you cannot know. 2. Senses can be fooled.

Epistemology
Intuition Definition: Knowledge that comes from immediate apprehension. There is no process or justification. (your gut, ah-hah) Advantages: 1. Very quick. 2. Personal. Disadvantages: 1. Intuition can often be wrong. 2. can have prejudice or bias.

Epistemology
Innatism Definition: A universal and inborn knowledge. 100% certain and logical. Advantages: 1. Innate truths are powerful and fundamental. 2. Innate knowledge is certain. 3. It allows us to move beyond the way things are. Disadvantages: 1. Can lead to arrogance - my convictions are universal! 2. How do you know its innate? 3. There might not be any!!!

In Class Reflection
What is your primary and secondary epistemology? How do you know what you know? Are they reliable?

The Benefit of Asking the Right Questions (Ch. 1)

What is Critical Thinking? 1. Awareness of critical thinking questions 2. Asking and answering critical thinking questions 3. The desire to actively use critical questions Review: Why is it important?

Two Thinking Styles

The Sponge Style: absorbing information. Advantages: 1. More absorbing = more understanding. 2. Passive not a lot of effort! Disadvantages: 1. No method for deciding which information and opinions to believe which to reject. 2. Decisions become accidents.

Two Thinking Styles

Panning-for-Gold: Active interaction with knowledge as it is being acquired. Advantages: 1. Questions the authors claims. 2. Gets to the truth. 3. Helps to formulate personal conclusions. Disadvantages: Takes time, and thought (at first).

Two Thinking Styles

Oh its just your opinion Well, how good is your opinion? You should use a combination of absorbing and then thinking critically. As you practice it will become second nature and you wont have to think about it.

Thinking and Emotion

We bring lots of personal experience, emotion, and agendas to every decision we make. Critical thinking puts our emotion and previous opinions aside - just briefly. One danger of emotional involvement is that you wont consider other conclusions/ideas. We are not machines, but we need to recognize the role of our emotions. Emotion should take place AFTER one has thought critically.

Weak-Sense Critical Thinking

Weak-sense critical thinking is using critical thinking to defend what you already believe. Not concerned with truth or virtue but with reenforcement of what you already believe.

Strong-Sense Critical Thinking

Strong-sense critical thinking is using critical thinking to evaluate all claims - INCLUDING our own. Strong-sense critical thinking will help us to feel confident and proud about a decision we make because we have thought about it and believe it to be true. It will then give us passion and motivation!!!

A Few Notes...
Critical thinking takes respect. You must respect the other persons opinion and you must respect yourself enough to think critically about your own thoughts. It takes courage and leadership It takes practice It also takes humility

Homework
Read Chapters One through Three - Asking the Right Questions Work on your paper!!!