Summary of Galen A. Foresman, Peter S. Fosl & Jamie C. Watson's The Critical Thinking Toolkit

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 Statements and propositions are the most basic building blocks of logical arguments. They can only be true or false, and they can't be both true and false in the same sense under the same circumstances.

#2 A good critical thinker must learn to identify claims that are true, or most likely seem true, while avoiding claims that are best judged false. A good critical thinker will recognize and admit when they do not know whether a claim is true or false.

#3 The distinction between strong assertions and mere opinions is that strong assertions are claims that are true or false, while mere opinions are not. However, opinions are still claims that can be challenged and criticized.

#4 A simple claim is a single subject-predicate formula, for example, It is a cat. A complex claim is a claim logically composed of two or more claims or statements connected by special words or ideas called logical operators. The truth conditions of complex claims are determined not only by the simple claims from which they are constructed but also by the operators used to combine them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Apr 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669394754

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Insights on Galen A. Foresman and Peter S. Fosl & Jamie C. Watson's The Critical Thinking Toolkit

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 6

Insights from Chapter 7

Insights from Chapter 8

Insights from Chapter 9

Insights from Chapter 10

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

Statements and propositions are the most basic building blocks of logical arguments. They can only be true or false, and they can't be both true and false in the same sense under the same circumstances.

#2

A good critical thinker must learn to identify claims that are true, or most likely seem true, while avoiding claims that are best judged false. A good critical thinker will recognize and admit when they do not know whether a claim is true or false.

#3

The distinction between strong assertions and mere opinions is that strong assertions are claims that are true or false, while mere opinions are not. However, opinions are still claims that can be challenged and criticized.

#4

A simple claim is a single subject-predicate formula, for example, It is a cat. A complex claim is a claim logically composed of two or more claims or statements connected by special words or ideas called logical operators. The truth conditions of complex claims are determined not only by the simple claims from which they are constructed but also by the operators used to combine them.

#5

A complex claim is made up of multiple simple claims, but it can be viewed as one big single claim because it is either true or false as a whole. The simple claims Earth exists and Martians exist have truth values, but combine them into a complex claim and the result has its own truth value.

#6

The truth value of different kinds of complex claims must be determined in different ways. For some complex claims, the truth or falsehood of the whole is completely determined by the truth values of the component claims and their logical relations.

#7

An argument is a special tool that systematically collects and arranges reasons in support of the truth of a claim. A argument is a set of claims in which one or more claims are intended to provide support or justification for the truth of another claim.

#8

Arguments, in the technical, logical sense, do not require a dispute, disagreement, or even dialogue. They do not involve yelling, screaming, or fisticuffs. They are typically composed of many arguments, and the opposing sides offer arguments in support of the claims they wish to establish.

#9

There is a difference between explanations and arguments. An explanation is a set of claims that functions to establish how or why something is the case. An argument, in contrast, undertakes to establish that some claim, normally a claim in question, is actually true.

#10

An explanation is a single claim upon which all the other claims are based. The truth of the explanandum is not at issue, but the explanans attempt to explain why this is so.

#11

An argument is made up of premises that serve as reasons to accept the conclusion. Premises are the foundation of an argument, and they work together to prove or demonstrate or justify the conclusion.

#12

An enthymeme is an informal argument that relies on premises not explicitly articulated. It is often a probable claim already accepted by the audience. In order to assess the merits of arguments, a critical thinker should look for enthymemes and flush out their implicit or assumed claims.

#13

The premises of an argument are made easy to identify by first identifying the argument's conclusion. Any claims that are there to support the truth of the conclusion become easier to discern.

#14

The presence of indicators clarifies the relationship of the claims in an argument. In an argument without indicators, a critical thinker must determine whether or not a given claim is best understood as a premise.

#15

The conclusion of an argument is the claim that the premises are to support or justify. The conclusion is the main point of the argument. Every argument has only one conclusion.

#16

When multiple conclusions can be drawn from a single set of premises, it is best to think of each conclusion as the result of a single argument. This is often the best practice because keeping arguments distinct, even when they share premises, can help prevent confusions that lead to error.

#17

The final conclusion of an argument is typically marked by a conclusion indicator. It is important to check the claim indicated by the conclusion indicator to see if that claim is, in fact, the logical, final conclusion of the argument.

#18

The following are simple arguments: Monday Night Football is the most watched television program in the United States. If you go to the store, then please purchase some milk and eggs. All the cars are vehicles with bad gasoline mileage.

Insights from Chapter 2

#1

All arguments are intended to support the truth of their conclusions, but arguments can be structured in vastly different ways to achieve this goal. The logical structure of an argument determines the extent to which it will be truth preserving, and so it is a critical component of evaluating the success of an argument.

#2

There are two ways an argument can be poorly engineered: one or more of the premises is false, or the structure or form of the argument fails to provide adequate support for the conclusion.

#3

The conclusion of a valid deductive argument will definitely follow, is sure to follow, or certainly follows. The truth of the conclusion is entirely