Critical Thinking

1. Critical Thinking Terminology Review

2. An attack on one’s opponent rather than one’s opponent’s argument. Ad hominem

3. Reasoning from the similarity of two things in several relevant respects to their similarity in another. Analogical reasoning

4. Accepting the word of an authority, alleged or genuine, when we should not. Appeal to authority

5. Believing that something is true because there is not good evidence that it is false. Appeal to ignorance

6. One or more statements (premises) offered in support of another statement (a conclusion). Argument

7. Assuming as a premise some form of the very point that is at issue – the conclusion we intend to prove. Begging the question

8. Fallaciously reasoning from a sample that is insufficiently representative of the population from which it is drawn. Biased statistics

9. The argument’s conclusion. Claim

10. The part of the meaning of a word or expression that refers to things, events, or properties of one kind or another. Cognitive meaning

11. The fallacy in which it is argued that a particular item must have a certain property because all or most of its parts have it. Composition

12. The fallacy in which a wrong is justified on the grounds that lots or most others do that sort of thing. Common practice

13. Reasoning that employs several inductions and deductions, concluding to a pattern that fits what has been observed so far. Concatenated reasoning

14. What the premises of an argument are claimed to prove. Conclusion

15. A statement that is neither necessarily true nor necessarily false. Contingent statement

16. A statement that is necessarily false or a group of statements that taken together are inconsistent. Contradiction

17. A strong belief held despite strong evidence invalidating it. Delusion

18. An argument that presents two alternative courses of action, both claimed to be bad. Dilemma

19. The fallacy in which it is assumed that all (or some) of the parts on an item have a particular property because the item as a whole has that property. Division

20. Mistakenly reasoning from two alternatives, one claimed to be bad (to be avoided), so that we ought to choose the other alternative in particular when there is at least another viable alternative. Either-or fallacy

21. The positive or negative overtones of a word or expression. Emotive meeting

22. Use of a term in a passage to mean one thing in one place and something else in another. Equivocation

23. A fallacy in which a question at issue is avoided (usually) while appearing not to. Evading the issue

24. Judging someone guilty solely on the basis of the company that person keeps. Guilt by association

25. The fallacious drawing of a conclusion from relevant but insufficient evidence. Hasty conclusion

26. The tendency to keep our beliefs, and thus our actions, within the bounds of what society as a whole will accept. Herd instinct

27. A deductively valid argument having the following form: 1) if A then B2) If B then C3) if A then C. Hypothetical syllogism

28. An argument in which the opposite of the desired conclusion is assumed as a premise, leading to a conclusion that is false, contrary, or absurd, justifying acceptance of the desired conclusion. Indirect proof

29. Reasoning that a pattern of some sort experienced so far will continue the future. Induction

30. Statements that literally say one thing although their intended meaning is something else, usually opposite to its literal meaning. Irony

31. To be so confused or opaque as to be difficult to understand. Obfuscation

32. Attacking the person instead of their argument is what type of fallacy Ad Hominem

33. When we assume that some parts of an item have a property because the whole item does, it is a called the fallacy of division

34. When we reason that the 2012 Olympics will be as fun as the 2008 Olympics, we reason by Analogy

35. When someone changes their mind and you accuse them of a fallacy it is called False charge of fallacy

36. The tendency to keep our beliefs and our actions within the bounds of what society will accept. Herd instinct

37. Providing a statistic that is very precise when in reality we only can estimate it approximately is called Disestimation

38. Self-deception – consciously hat Only selecting data that is favorable to your argument is called deeper level we know to be dubious. Cherry-picking

39. An attitude of strong, often biased, allegiance to a faction, cause, or person that results in viewing everything in terms of “us” versus “them.” Partisan mind-set

40. Thinking ill of others without sufficient warrant, particularly members of a specific group, race, or religion. Prejudice

41. A reason offered in support of an argument’s conclusion. Premise

42. A limited perspective shaped by the ideas, interests, and kinds of behavior favored by the groups with which we identify. Provincialism

43. Theories that are without scientific foundation. Pseudoscientific theories

44. Reasoning by an analogy that is not apt, not justified. Questionable analogy

45. Labeling A as the cause of B on evidence that is insufficient, negative, or unrepresentative, or is in serious conflict with well-established high-level theories. Questionable cause

46. A psychological ploy we use to justify our actions or beliefs, however wrong, by coming up with self-satisfying but incorrect reasons to explain them. Rationalization

47. One who is blamed for the ills of the world. Scapegoat

48. Consciously believing at a deeper level what we know to be dubious. Self-deception

49. the careful selection of facts so as to imply something else (usually something false). Slanting

50. Objecting to a course of action on the grounds that once it is taken, another, and then perhaps still others, is bound to be taken and given that the last step is not justified, then neither is the first. Slippery slope argument