Summary Notes

Topics

  1. Structured Critical Reasoning
  2. Critical Thinking Questions
  3. Critical Thinking Actions

Structured Critical Reasoning top

To Identify:

  1. The conclusions
  2. The Evidence
  3. The Assumptions
  4. The Strength and Weakness of each Assumption
  5. Fallacies in logic
Step 1. Identify all the conclusions.

A conclusion is a statement or idea in a document or speech that the writer or speaker wants you to accept.

Step 2. Look for the reasons and evidence the author uses to support each conclusion.
There is an important distinction between reason and evidence.
Step 3. List all major assumptions
An assumption is a belief we use to support the evidence. Make a list of the assumptions in each piece of evidence. Look for hidden or unspoken assumptions.
For example " An employee reported to his supervisor that his work team was not functioning well. He spoke generally about friction between members of the team. The supervisor stated that she would look into it. She noted that just prior to the complaint a new member had been added to the team. Her hidden assumption was that because the complaint and the new member's arrival coincided, there must be a connection. She transferred the new member to a different team, and was surprised when the workgroup continued to have friction and communication problems".
Step 4. Evaluate all the assumptions and evidence.
Our job is to evaluate each assumption to determine whether it is strong or weak, whether it is relevant and whether it is valid?

During the evaluation look for contradictions and for fallacies in the assumptions.

Step 5. Identify Fallacies in Logic
The following list gives eleven common fallacies in logic to look for when evaluating the assumptions used in supporting the evidence and the conclusions.


Critical Thinking Questions top
These questions are reproduced with permission from The Foundation for Critical Thinking. For a more complete and further description of Socratic Questioning, the reader is referred to "The Thinker's Guide to The Art of Socratic Questioning", 2006, by Richard Paul and Linda Elder.
Details may be found at:
www.criticalthinking.org/


Six Types of Socratic Questions Examples of Critical Thinking Questions (CTQs)
1. Questions about the question or problem statment: The purpose of this question is to find out why the question was asked, who asked it and why the question or problem needs to be solved.
  • What was the point of this question?
  • Why do you think I asked this question?
  • Why is it important you learn the answer to that question?
  • How does this question relate to our discussion?
2. Questions for clarification: The purpose of this question is to find missing or unclear information in the problem statement question.
  • What do you mean by that?
  • Why do you say that?
  • How does that relate to our discussion?
  • What do we already know about that?
3. Questions that probe assumptions: The purpose of this question is to find out if there are any misleading or false assumptions.
  • What could we assume instead?
  • How can you verify or disapprove that assumption?
  • Explain why...(Explain how... )
  • What would happen if...?
4. Questions that probe reasons and evidence: The purpose of this question is to explore whether facts and observations support an assertion.
  • What would be an example?
  • Why is ... happening?
  • What is analogous to...?
  • What do you think causes...? Why?
  • What evidence is there to support your answer?
5. Questions about viewpoints and perspectives: The purpose of this question is to learn how things are viewed or judged and to consider things not only in a relative perspective, but also as a whole.
  • What is a counterargument for...?
  • What are the strengths and weaknesses of that viewpoint?
  • What are the similarities and difference between... and...?
  • Compare... and... with regard to...
6. Questions that probe implications and consequences: The purpose of this question is to understand the inferences or deductions and the end result if the inferred action is carried out.
  • What are the consequences of that assumption?
  • Why is... important? (e.g., temperature?)
  • Is there a more logical inference we might make in this situation?
  • How are you interpreting her behavior? Is there another possible interpretation?
  • How did you reach that conclusion?
  • Given all the facts, what is the best possible conclusion?


Critical Thinking Actions top


Types of Critical Thinking Actions Examples of Critical Thinking Actions
1. Predicting: envisioning a plan and its consequences


"I envisioned the outcome would be...,"
"I was prepared for..."

2. Analyzing: separating or breaking a whole into parts to discover their nature, function and relationships


"I studied it piece by piece"
"I sorted things out"

3. Information seeking: searching for evidence, facts, or knowledge by identifying relevant sources


"I knew I needed to lookup/study..."
"I kept searching for data on ......"

4. Applying Standards: judging according to established personal, professional, or social rules or criteria


"I judged that according to..."
"I compared this situation to what I knew to be the rule..."

5. Discriminating recognizing differences and similarities among things or situations and distinguishing carefully as to category or rank.


"I grouped things together... "
"I put things in categories..."

6. Transforming Knowledge: changing or converting the condition, nature, form, or function of concepts among contexts.


"I improved on the basics by..."
"I wondered if that would fit the situation of ..."

7. Logical Reasoning: drawing inferences or conclusions that are supported by evidence


"I deduced from the information that..."
"My rationale for the conclusion was..."