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Critical Thinking, Logic, and Argument: Contents

Critical Thinking, Logic, and Argument
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“Contents” in “Critical Thinking, Logic, and Argument”

Contents

Acknowledgements

Preface: Am I a Critical Thinker?

Ideal Critical Thinkers

What Should I Believe?

Language

Grammar

The Role of Evaluating Arguments

I. Arguments and Language

1. Critical Thinking and Belief

1.1 Are We Responsible for Beliefs?

1.2 The Causal Character of Belief

1.3 The Functional Model of Belief

1.4 Evaluating Belief

2. Inference and Argument

2.1 Context for Critical Thinking

2.2 Arguments

2.3 Relevance and Dialectic Acceptability

2.4 Selecting a Method

2.5 Language Matters

3. Standard Form and Validity

3.1 Logical Arguments

3.2 Deductive Versus Inductive Arguments

3.3 Inductive Strength and Probability

3.4 Validity

3.5 Five Valid Deductive Argument Patterns

3.6 Two Invalid Deductive Argument Patterns

4. Putting Validity into Practice

4.1 Using Counter-Examples

4.2 Modus Ponens

4.3 Modus Tollens

4.4 Affirming the Consequent

4.5 Denying the Antecedent

5. Classification Systems

5.1 Building a Classification System

6. Definitions

6.1 Definition and Language Use

6.2 Classification and Language Use

6.3 Definitions and Reference

6.4 Rules for a Good Definition

7. Arguments from Definition and Enthymemes

7.1 Reasoning with Definitions

7.2 Validity and Definitional Arguments

7.3 Enthymemes

II. Categorical Logic

8. The Syllogism

8.1 Transitivity in a Syllogism

8.2 Intransitivity

8.3 Containment Revisited

9. Categorical Logic Statements

9.1 Four Kinds of Categorical Statements

9.2 Four Parts of Every Categorical Statement

9.3 Venn Diagrams

9.4 Universal Affirmative: A

9.5 Universal Negative: E

9.6 Particular Affirmative: I

9.7 Particular Negative: O

10. Translating Categorical Statements

10.1 Three Issues for Translation of Statements

10.2 Interpretations of “Some”

10.3 Direct Singular Reference

10.4 Proper Names

10.5 Translating an Informal Statement

10.6 Steps in Translations

11. Categorical Equivalence

11.1 Theory of Immediate Inference

11.2 Conversion

11.3 Contraposition

11.4 Obversion

11.5 Negation

11.6 Contradiction

11.7 Contrary and Subcontrary

11.8 Subaltern

11.9 Traditional Square of Opposition

12. The Categorical Syllogism

12.1 Theory of the Syllogism

12.2 Moods and Figures

12.3 Valid Forms

12.4 Graphing Syllogisms

12.5 Enthymemes

12.6 Rules for Using Venn Diagrams to Determine Validity

III. Informal Fallacies

13. Introduction to Fallacies and Bias

13.1 Introduction to Fallacies

13.2 Bias and Relativism

13.3 Stereotyping

13.4 List of Fallacies Covered

14. Fallacies of Ambiguity

14.1 Introduction to Fallacies of Ambiguity

14.2 Equivocation

14.3 Amphiboly

14.4 Fallacy of Accent

14.5 Fallacy of Composition

14.6 Fallacy of Division

14.7 Fallacy of Hypostatization

15. Fallacies of Emotional Bias

15.1 Fallacy of Personal Attack (Ad Hominem)

15.2 Abuse

15.3 Poisoning the Well

15.4 Tu Quoque

15.5 Mob Appeal (Argumentum Ad Populum)

15.6 Appeal to Pity (Argumentum Ad Misericordiam)

15.7 Appeal to Force or Fear (Argumentum Ad Baculum)

15.8 Two Wrongs Make a Right

16. Fallacies of Expertise

16.1 Genuine Appeal to Authority

16.2 Fallacious Appeal to Authority

16.3 Fallacy of Snob Appeal

16.4 Appeal to Tradition

16.5 Appeal to Nature

16.6 Appeal to Anonymous Authority

16.7 The Appeal to Ignorance

17. Fallacies of Distorting the Facts

17.1 Analogy

17.2 False Analogy

17.3 False Cause

17.4 Slippery Slope (Wedge) Argument

17.5 Irrelevant Thesis (Ignoratio Elenchi)

18. Fallacies of Presumption

18.1 Sweeping Generalization (Fallacy of Accident)

18.2 Hasty Generalization (Converse Accident)

18.3 Difference Between Hasty and Sweeping Generalization

18.4 Difference Between Hasty and Sweeping Generalization and Composition and Division

18.5 The Fallacy of Bifurcation

19. Fallacies of Evading the Facts

19.1 Straw Person

19.2 The Fallacy of Begging the Question (Petitio Principii)

19.3 The Fallacy of Question-Begging Epithets

19.4 The Fallacy of Complex Question

19.5 The Fallacy of Special Pleading

IV. Conclusion

20. Putting Critical Thinking into Practice

20.1 Returning to Inductive Strength

20.2 Making Better Arguments

20.3 Evaluating Arguments in Longer Text

21. Fallacy Round-Up

21.1 Fallacies of Ambiguity

21.2 Fallacies of Emotional Bias

21.3 Fallacies of Expertise

21.4 Fallacies of Distorting the Facts

21.5 Fallacies of Presumption

21.6 Fallacies of Evading the Facts

Glossary

About the Authors

Answer Key: https://aupress.ca/ctla-keys

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