Critical Thinking & Logical Fallacies

• Critical thinking involves analyzing information, making reasoned judgments, and applying problem-solving skills
• Critical thinking is crucial for informed decision-making
• Critical thinking enhances one's ability to assess situations, make sound decisions, and solve complex problems
• Key components of critical thinking include:

  • Analysis: Breaking down information to understand its components and relationships
  • Interpretation: Making sense of information by explaining its meaning or significance
  • Inference: Drawing logical conclusions based on available evidence
  • Explanation: Clearly articulating the rationale behind a decision or conclusion
  • Evaluation: Assessing the validity and reliability of information or arguments
  • Problem-solving: Applying critical thinking skills to address challenges and find effective solutions
• Logical fallacies are flawed patterns of reasoning that undermine the validity and soundness of arguments
• Logical fallacies often lead to deceptive or misleading conclusions, diverting attention from the actual merits of an argument
• • Slippery Slope: Assuming a small action will lead to extreme consequences without proper justification
  • Red Herring: Introducing irrelevant information to divert attention from the main issue
• Common types of logical fallacies include:

  • Ad Hominem: Attacking the person instead of addressing their argument
  • Strawman: Misrepresenting an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack
  • False Cause: Incorrectly attributing a cause-and-effect relationship
  • Hasty Generalization: Drawing broad conclusions based on insufficient evidence
  • Circular Reasoning: Using the conclusion to support the premise
  • Appeal to Authority: Relying on the opinion of an authority figure rather than evidence
• Steps for constructing a logically sound argument:

  • Claim (C): Clearly state your main assertion or claim
  • Evidence (E): Provide relevant and credible evidence that supports your claim
  • Reasoning (R): Present logical reasoning that connects the evidence to your claim. Avoid fallacies and ensure a clear, coherent flow of ideas
  • Counterargument (CA): Anticipate potential counterarguments and address them. Strengthen your position by showing why opposing views are less valid
  • Conclusion (C): Summarize your main points and restate your claim
• Ad hominem is an attack on the person making the argument rather than addressing the merits of the argument itself.
• Appeal to authority (argumentum ad verecundiam) is an argument that appeals to someone's reputation or status as evidence for their claim.
• The fallacy of the false dilemma is when there are more than two options, but only two are presented.
• A straw man fallacy occurs when someone presents a distorted version of another person’s argument as a way to refute it more easily.
• A hasty generalization is made when we draw sweeping conclusions about a group based on limited data or examples.
• The false cause fallacy assumes that because one event precedes another, there must be a causal connection between them.
• Begging the question (petitio principii) is when an argument assumes what needs to be proven.
• Composition (accident) is assuming that something true about parts applies to the whole.
• Division (partes extra parties) is assuming that something true about the whole applies to its parts.
• A slippery slope argument assumes that if one thing happens, then another bad outcome will inevitably follow.
• An appeal to emotion is an attempt to persuade people through emotional manipulation rather than rational arguments.
• An appeal to emotion is an attempt to persuade people through emotional manipulation rather than logic and reason.
• Post hoc ergo propter hoc is a fallacious form of causality where one event follows another, so they must be related.
• The fallacy of composition is when something true about parts of a whole is assumed to apply to the whole.
• An appeal to emotion is when someone tries to sway others with emotional arguments instead of presenting facts and logic.
• Circular reasoning happens when one assumes what they intend to prove.
• Post hoc ergo propter hoc is a fallacious form of causality where cause and effect are assumed without proper evidence.
• An appeal to emotion is an attempt to sway people by appealing to their emotions instead of presenting logical arguments.
• The fallacy of composition is committed when we assume that what applies to individual parts also applies to the whole system.
• The fallacy of division is committed when we assume that what applies to the whole system also applies to its individual parts.