Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking (8th Edition) [ REPOST ]

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Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking (8th Edition) [ REPOST ]

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Editorial Description:

For all level Critical Thinking, Argumentative Writing, and Informal Logic courses in English, Social Science, Philosophy, Education, Journalism, and Mass Communication departments.

This highly popular text helps students bridge the gap between simply memorizing or blindly accepting information, and the greater challenge of critical analysis and synthesis. It teaches them to respond to alternative points of view and develop a solid foundation for making personal choices about what to accept and what to reject.

Features:

* NEW—Expanded treatment of the role of values in critical thinking.

* Emphasizes part of the process that enables students to make rational and moral choices about social issues—even those with which they have had little experience.

* NEW—Added sections in most chapters.

* Explains how critical thinking can enhance the speaking and writing of those who learn the skills in this text.

* NEW—Completely rewritten final chapter.

* Demonstrates, in one place, the integrated use of critical thinking skills, and helps students see skills as something to be applied—rather than isolated.

* NEW—Numerous new practice passages—Available on a Web site.

* Provides students with a workbook-like set of application opportunities.

* A focus on question-asking skills.

* Teaches students to develop their critical-thinking abilities by not always accepting what they hear as truth.

* Treatment of critical thinking as a generic skill.

* Makes the learning process applicable to all disciplines.

* Broad understanding of different types of evidence.

* Explores the criteria for rational conversation and the quality of reasoning.

* Analysis of biases.

* Familiarizes students with preconceived ideas that hinder critical thinking.

* Caution Boxes. Alert students to common misunderstandings that interfere with the effective use of an idea or skills.

* Use of graphics and cartoons.

* Enlivens the presentation and helps clarify complex or significant points.

* Chapter-length illustration.

* Highlights for students the system of "right" questions.

* Informal writing style.

* Offers students a readable text with a simplified format that outlines the basic skills explicitly and concisely.

* Key definitions highlighted throughout.

* Emphasizes important terminology needed for understanding and evaluating reasoning.

Table of Contents

1. The Benefit of Asking the Right Questions.
2. What Are the Issue and the Conclusion?
3. What Are the Reasons?
4. What Words or Phrases Are Ambiguous?
5. What Are the Value Conflicts and Assumptions?
6. What Are the Descriptive Assumptions?
7. Are There Any Fallacies in the Reasoning?
8. How Good Is the Evidence: Intuition, Appeals to Authority, and Testimonials?
9. How Good Is the Evidence: Personal Observation, Case Studies, Research Studies, and Analogies?
10. Are There Rival Causes?
11. Are the Statistics Deceptive?
12. What Significant Information Is Omitted?
13. What Reasonable Conclusions Are Possible?
14. Practice and Review. Index.