Critcal Thinking Final Review

One of the following statements is statistical generalization.

45% of A are B

This fallacy occurs when one refutes an argument by pointing out some irrelevant characteristic of the reasoner rather than by pointing out some error in the reasoning itself.

Ad Hominem

This fallacy is also known as "Begging the Question".

Circular Reasoning

______ attempt to show cause or motivation.

Explanations

Following sentences are not statements. You may choose more than one correct answer.

Keep off the grass. Education is not important. Please print your name legibly. What do you say we stop at the next rest stop? Let's go to New York for your birthday. What time is it? Peter likes his new job. Great!

Any fallacious argument is one whose conclusion doesn't follow from its supporting reasons. The name of this fallacy comes from a Latin term meaning "does not follow."

Non-Sequitur

An argument has at least ________ premise(s) and one conclusion

One

Fallacies of relevance include ________ that are not relevant to the ___________ they support.

Premises, Conclusions

This fallacy is committed when the arguer misrepresents the opponent's position and begins to beat up on the misrepresentation.

Straw Man

A refutation of another person's position is an argument that successfully shows the other person's position to be false.

True

Generalizations based on the terms "All" or "None" are easier to refute than those based on "Some" or "Most".

True

A conclusion (a claim) backed up by one or more reasons in any order is called a(n) _____________.

argument

___________ arguments are meant to be valid and ____________ the truth of the conclusion.

deductive; guarantee

Fallacies are ______ in reasoning.

errors

A scientific hypothesis can never be refuted.

false

All arguments are unpleasant.

false

Words or phrases that provide clues when premises or conclusions are being offered are called

indicator words

An argument and an explanation are different because speakers present them with different __________.

intentions

____________ arise when there is uncertainty about whether to accept or reject a claim, or about what to do or not do.

issues

"This year on my birthday I will be 15 years old and 49 years old." is an example of a statement that is ____________.

logically inconsistent.

A _________ is a claim put forth as a reason for a conclusion.

premise

One of the following statements is a universal generalization.

All A are B

Following the rules of logical reasoning leads to a payoff including:

All of the above

In determining if this argument is fallacious or not, one must assess the credibility of the support or the source provided for the conclusion.

Appeal to Authority

______ aim at convincing you that something is so or that something should be done.

Arguments

What type of fallacy is reflected in the following conversation? Kylie: God wrote the Bible.Ned: How do you know? Kylie: Because it says so in the Bible, and what the Bible says is true. Ned: How do you know what the Bible says is true?Kylie: Because God wrote the Bible.

Circular reasoning

Generally speaking, thinking is better when it is deep rather shallow, thorough rather than superficial. This expression speaks to which "Critical Thinking Standard"?

Completeness

If you expect people to accept your own ____________, then it's your responsibility to give them reasons they can appreciate.

Conclusion

The procedure of weighing the pros and cons is a decision procedure that requires the following statement (s). You may choose more than one correct answer.

Considering the possible courses of action c. Evaluating those consequences d. Considering the probabilities that those various consequences will actually occur Answers:a. Guessing the consequences of those various courses of action b. Considering the possible courses of action c. Evaluating those consequences d. Considering the probabilities that those various consequences will actually occur

_____ state the facts, report on states of mind, express values, and so forth.

Descriptions

______ state the facts, report on states of mind, express values, and so forth.

Descriptions

Which of the following is NOT a strategy for putting arguments in standard form?

Discard claims that you disagree with

Ramone's friend says, "Ramone, look at those two white guys on the other side of the street. They look friendly. The blond guy with him looks like he would rip your lungs out just to see what would happen. The other one is just as fierce, and he's carrying the radio I lost yesterday; it's got my sticker on the side." If Ramone leaves believing that the two guys are friendly because his friend said, "They look friendly," then he has violated some principle of logical reasoning. What principle?

Don't take people too literally

"It is about the second time Candace lost her virginity. While she was on a bridge crossing the stream, walking up the lane toward her was a tall man with a dog...." This is an example of ________________ inconsistency.

Factual

An argument is fallacious when it contains only three or more logical fallacies.

False

Arguments can only have one conclusion.

False

Logical reasoning cannot be learned or improved. Individuals are either naturally good at it or they are not.

False

When we use the word "critical" in reference to critical thinking, we mean "negative and fault-finding."

False

In this fallacy, the arguer asks the opponent to choose between options that are not realistic or too extreme. It often appears as an 'either .... or' statement.

False Dilemma

This fallacy is committed by attempting to discredit a claim because of its origin when such a criticism is irrelevant to the claim.

Genetic

Which of the following passages contain an argument in our technical sense of that word?

I'm sure Martin Luther King Jr. didn't die during the 1960s, because it says right here in the encyclopedia that he was assassinated in Memphis in 1998.

The following statements are the principles of logical reasoning. Select all that apply; you may choose more than on correct answer.

If you expect people to accept your own conclusion, then it's your responsibility to give them reasons they can appreciate. b. Use your background knowledge and common sense in drawing conclusions. c. Assess the pros and cons. d. Extraordinary statements require extraordinarily good evidence to back them up. Answers:a. If you expect people to accept your own conclusion, then it's your responsibility to give them reasons they can appreciate. b. Use your background knowledge and common sense in drawing conclusions. c. Assess the pros and cons. d. Extraordinary statements require extraordinarily good evidence to back them up. e. The less time available, the more rational it becomes to be reactive and to act on intuitions or 'gut instinct.'

_________ premises are the unstated claims or unstated assumptions of the argument.

Implicit

Which of the following passages contain an argument in our technical sense of that word?

Plant your flower bulbs at a depth of 6 inches so they will be protected from freezing temperatures.

This fallacy occurs when arguers, without sufficient evidence, claim that a seemingly harmless action, if taken, will lead to a disastrous outcome.

Slippery Slope

Here is an argument: "Tantalum can be melted, too, because all metals can be melted if you raise their temperature." Choose the implicit premise from the following list:

Tantalum is a metal

A fallacious appeal to authority can also occur when a claim is backed up by an appeal to an authority in the appropriate area yet the authorities themselves are in significant disagreement with each other.

True

An 'ad hominem' fallacy is an attack on a person's character as opposed to the claims of their argument.

True

If an arguer cites a statement by a witness in support of a conclusion and there is good reason to doubt the accuracy of the winess's obervations, the arguer commits the fallacy of inappropriate appeal to authority.

True

The following statements are the principles of logical reasoning. Select all that apply; you may choose more than on correct answer.

Use your background knowledge and common sense in drawing conclusions. e. Assess the pros and cons. Answers:a. If you expect people to accept your own conclusion, then it's your responsibility to give them reasons they can appreciate. b. The less time available, the more rational it becomes to be reactive and to act on intuitions or 'gut instinct.' c. Use your background knowledge and common sense in drawing conclusions. d. Extraordinary statements require extraordinarily good evidence to back them up. e. Assess the pros and cons.

One of the following things or sentences is not a statement.

What time is it?

An ______________has at least one conclusion supported by one or more reasons, all of which are statements.

argument

The presuppositions of a statement are _________ ____________.

background assumptions

A ______________ is a claim meant to be supported by reasons offered in the argument.

conclusion

An oxymoron is a(n) ______________ in terms.

contradiction

A ___________ is an exception to a claim in an argument.

counterexample

______________ is the general term given to a wide range of cognitive skills and intellectual dispositions needed to effectively identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments and truth claims, to discover and overcome personal preconceptions and biases, to formulate and present convincing reasons in support of conclusions, and to make reasonable, intelligent decisions about what to believe and what to do.

critical thinking

An argument, as that term is used in critical thinking, is a quarrel or dispute between two or more persons.

false

Arguments can only have one conclusion.

false

Logical reasoning cannot be learned or improved. Individuals are either naturally good at it or they are not.

false

When we say an argument is valid, we mean that all the claims in the argument are true.

false

When we use the word "critical" in reference to critical thinking, we mean "negative and fault-finding."

false

Which of the following is NOT required in weighing the pros and cons?

finding the course of action that is 100% correct

A ___________ about a group is a statement about the group that says some, all, or a percentage of them have some property.

generalization

One of the following things or sentences is not a statement.

good morning mother.

Since, Because, and For are examples of ______________ indicators.

premise

Statements in an argument offered as evidence or reasons in support of another statement are called

premises

Inductive arguments are meant to confer a high degree of __________ on the conclusion

probability

A ____________ is a successful disproof of a claim in an argument.

refutation

Conformism is a form of:

sociocentrism

Critical Thinking skills include all of the following EXCEPT:

sounding more sophisticated than others

A factual inconsistency is a logical inconsistency with the facts.

true

A group of statements is inconsistent if it's not possible for them all be true.

true

A group of statements is inconsistent if it's not possible for them all be_____________.

true

A statement is a sentence or things that are said that can be viewed as true or false.

true

An explanation is a statement or sequence of statements designed to show the cause, the motivation, or the sequence of events leading up to the event that is being explained.

true

An implicit conclusion of an argument is a statement that does not appear explicitly but that is intended by the arguer to be a conclusion of an argument.

true

Generalizations that are based on the 'All' or 'None' are known as universal generalizations.

true

In the following argument: "You know I know animals have souls? Because on average, the lowest animal is a lot nicer and kinder than most of the human beings that inhabit this Earth." The conclusion to this argument is "animals have souls."

true

Logical reasoners need to be flexible thinkers.

true

Logical reasoning or critical thinking is a high quality reasoning. It can be learned and improved.

true

Real life decision-making often must work in a dynamic, unpredictable environment.

true

Refuting a statement requires more than merely contradicting it.

true

There is no middle ground between consistent and inconsistent statements.

true

Words or phrases that help 'flag' premises and conclusions are called inference indicators.

true

You should give an argument to support your claim if you expect other people to accept it.

true

Your opponent's explanation is less believable if you can show that there are alternative explanations that haven't been ruled out.

true

Considering the benefits and drawbacks is also known as

weighing the pros and cons