CRITICAL THINKING

SAROJINI KARUPPIAH

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CONVINCE

CLAIMSARGUMENTS

Are you convinced?

Thinking critically is a defense against a world of too much information and too many people trying to convince us.Examples :-

You should go to bed early?You should go to this college?You should take this course?

3 types of convincing?

Someone tries to convince you.You try to convince someone elseYou try to convince yourself

Critical thinking can :- improve your thinking skills sharpen your judgement and show you that methods of evaluating

reasoning apply to much in your life.

Claims Claims -A declarative sentences used

in such a way that it is true or false, but not both. (in contrast to threats, commands, questions and prayers).

Examples: declarative sentences This course is a delight. The author of this book sure writes well.Examples: not declarative sentences Shut that door! How often do I have to tell you to wipe

your feet before you come into the house?

But not every declarative sentences is true or false.

Those sentences that are true or false, named as truth-value

Arguments An arguments is an attempt to

convince someone that a particular claims, called the conclusion is true.

The rest of the arguments is called as premises ( that are given as the reasons for believing the conclusion is true)

Analysis : The nurse is making an argument.

She’s trying to convince the doctor that “Your patient in Room 47 is dying” is true.

She offers the premise: “He’s in cardiac arrest.” Sounds pretty convincing.

Analysis : Dick is making an argument, trying to

convince the police officer that the following claim is true: “The accident was not my fault” (reworded a bit).

He uses two premises: “She hit me from the rear” and “Anytime you get rear-ended it’s not your fault.”

Critical thinking is evaluating whether we should be convinced that some claims is true or some arguments is good, as well as formulating good arguments.

Conclusion An argument, we decided, should

mean an attempt to convince someone that a sentence is true.

We defined a claim as a declarative sentence used in such a way that it is true or false.

Arguments are attempts to convince that use only claims.

DEBATES TOPICS-GROUP

CRIME AMONG TEENAGERS INCREASED BECAUSE OF INFLUENCE FROM

MOVIES OR

FRIENDS PRIVATE JOB ?

OR GOVERNMENT JOB?

WHICH ONE YOU PREFER?