Exercise 1 - 1 Questions

T or F: A claim is what you use to state an opinion or belief?

True

T or F: All arguments have a conclusion.

True

T or F: All arguments have a premise.

True

T or F: Beliefs, judgments, and opinions are the same thing.

True

T or F: Every issue requires an argument for a resolution.

True

T or F: It is not possible to reason correctly if you do not think critically.

True

T or F: Relativism is the idea that if the standards of evidence or truth are different for two cultures, there is no independent way of saying which standards are the correct ones.

True

T or F: Statements, claims, and assertions are the same thing.

True

T or F: The claim "Death Valley is an eyesore: expresses a subjective opinion.

True

T or F: The conclusion of an argument states a position on an issue.

True

T or F: When a question has been asked, an issue has been raised.

True

T or F: You can reach a conclusion without believing it is true.

True

The first order of business when it comes to thinking critically about an issue is (a) to determine whether the issue is subjective or objective, (b) to determine whether the issue can be resolved, or (c) to determine what exactly the issue is.

(c) to determine what exactly the issue is.

What is an argument?

An argument consists of two parts, one of which, the premise, is intended to provide a reason for accepting the other part, the conclusion. Unfortunately, sometimes people use the word "argument" to refer just to the premise.

T or F: All factual claims are true.

False

T or F: All opinions are subjective.

False

T or F: Critical thinking consists in attacking other people's ideas.

False

T or F: Issues can be resolved only through scientific testing.

False

T or F: Whether a passage contains an argument depends on how long it is.

False

"There is nothing either good or bad but that thinking makes it so" expresses a doctrine known as ___________________________.

Hamlet's dictum