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Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities
Broadening “In Situ” For Improving Argument Evaluation?, Haavard Koppang
Broadening “In Situ” For Improving Argument Evaluation?, Haavard Koppang
OSSA Conference Archive
The psychology of argumentation (PSA), has added new insight into argumentation theory and informal logic, fields that so far have been strongly influenced by the philosophy of argumentation (PHA). One assumption with regard to the PSA is that reasoning is argumentative and constructed to persuade. Thus, the successful outcome of reasoning is the ability to persuade for action to adapt to specific situations. Whereas biased beliefs – generated by mechanisms such as confirmation bias and motivated reasoning – might sway production and evaluation of arguments significantly. Arguers do not primarily activate reasoning for logical purposes; they do so rather to …
Commentary On Sharon Bailin And Mark Battersby’S “Is There A Role For Adversariality In Teaching Critical Thinking?”, Catherine Hundleby
Commentary On Sharon Bailin And Mark Battersby’S “Is There A Role For Adversariality In Teaching Critical Thinking?”, Catherine Hundleby
OSSA Conference Archive
No abstract provided.
Comments On Developing Critical Thinking With Rhetorical Pedagogy By Elizabeth Ismail, Sharon Bailin
Comments On Developing Critical Thinking With Rhetorical Pedagogy By Elizabeth Ismail, Sharon Bailin
OSSA Conference Archive
In her paper, Ismail argues that common approaches to teaching critical thinking based on informal logic are inadequate and that equating the ability to think critically with the ability to analyze and evaluate arguments is problematic. To remedy these inadequacies, she proposes a pedagogy based in rhetoric. I first examine her critiques of informal logic, seconding many of her concerns regarding the limitations of equating critical thinking with argument analysis and evaluation. I concur with her judgment that there is a case to be made for broadening the scope of critical thinking instruction and argue that the need for a …
Developing Critical Thinking With Rhetorical Pedagogy, Elizabeth Ismail
Developing Critical Thinking With Rhetorical Pedagogy, Elizabeth Ismail
OSSA Conference Archive
The development of critical thinking skills is emphasized as a fundamental attribute of successful graduates (Ritchhart & Perkins, 2005; Willingham, 2008). Some critical thinking textbooks inform students to “see beyond the rhetoric to the core idea being stated” (Moore and Parker, 2009, p. 21); however, other scholars have begun to suggest that rhetoric is intrinsically interrelated to critical thinking and plays a pivotal role in everyday interactions (Saki, 2016). This paper explores the later.
Commentary On 'Pursuing Objectivity: How Virtuous Can You Get?', William R. Minto
Commentary On 'Pursuing Objectivity: How Virtuous Can You Get?', William R. Minto
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No abstract provided.
Thinking Critically About Beliefs It's Hard To Think Critically About, Justine M. Kingsbury, Tracy A. Bowell
Thinking Critically About Beliefs It's Hard To Think Critically About, Justine M. Kingsbury, Tracy A. Bowell
OSSA Conference Archive
There are some beliefs that are difficult to think critically about, even for those who have critical thinking skills and are committed to applying them to their own beliefs. These resistant beliefs are not all of a kind, and so a range of different strategies may be needed to get ourselves and others (in particular our students) to think critically about them. In this paper we suggest some such strategies.
Enhancing Rationality: Heuristics, Biases, And The Critical Thinking Project, Mark Battersby
Enhancing Rationality: Heuristics, Biases, And The Critical Thinking Project, Mark Battersby
OSSA Conference Archive
Enhancing people’s reasoning abilities or rationality is a long and central tradition in philosophy and is the dominant concern of the critical movement. The research by cognitive psychologists has contributed considerably to our understanding of human irrationality and can enhance critical thinking instruction. The critical thinking/informal logic movement has not devoted sufficient attention to the decision making aspect of rationality. Unfortunately the norms used in the heuristics and bias literature to identify biases in decision making derive from the theory of rational choice used in neo-classical economic theory. These norms identify rational decision making with the efficient pursuit of individual …
Commentary On “A Three-Dimensional Analysis Of Definition With Bearing On Key Concepts” By Robert Ennis, Kevin Possin
Commentary On “A Three-Dimensional Analysis Of Definition With Bearing On Key Concepts” By Robert Ennis, Kevin Possin
OSSA Conference Archive
On the nature of definitions and concepts, and the definition of critical thinking.
Commentary On "Why Not Teach Critical Thinking" By B. Hamby, Kevin Possin
Commentary On "Why Not Teach Critical Thinking" By B. Hamby, Kevin Possin
OSSA Conference Archive
Some ways of teaching critical thinking seem destine to failure, e.g.,CT across the curriculum, and some obstacles to acquiring CT skills seem insurmountable, e.g., cognitive biases, but some approaches to teaching and learning to think critically, discussed in this article, can mitigate those biases and be demonstrably successful.
Definition: A Three-Dimensional Analysis With Bearing On Key Concepts, Robert H. Ennis Phd
Definition: A Three-Dimensional Analysis With Bearing On Key Concepts, Robert H. Ennis Phd
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This essay presents a three-dimensional analysis of definition (form, stance, and content) with application to making and evaluating definitions; teaching how to define; avoiding equivocation with "argument" and "bias"; and, using the concept-conception distinction, avoiding being deterred by the many definitions of "critical thinking", and seeing the usefulness of objectivity in everyday arguments in spite of existing conflict and confusion about aspects of objectivity.
Critical Thinking And Cognitive Biases, Mark Battersby, Sharon Bailin
Critical Thinking And Cognitive Biases, Mark Battersby, Sharon Bailin
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We argue that psychological research can enhance the identification of reasoning errors and the development of an appropriate pedagogy to instruct people in how to avoid these errors. In this paper we identify some of the findings of psychologists that help explain some common fallacies, give examples of fallacies identified in the research that have not been typically identified in philosophy, and explore ways in which this research can enhance critical thinking instruction.
Critical Thinking And The Argumentational And Epistemic Virtues, Tracy Bowell, Justine Kingsbury
Critical Thinking And The Argumentational And Epistemic Virtues, Tracy Bowell, Justine Kingsbury
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In this paper we argue that while a full-blown virtue-theoretical account of argumentation is implausible, there is scope for augmenting a conventional account of argument by taking a character-oriented turn. We then discuss the characteristics of the good epistemic citizen, and consider approaches to nurturing these characteristics in critical thinking students, in the hope of addressing the problem of lack of transfer of critical thinking skills to the world outside the classroom.
Critical Thinking Across The Curriculum (Ctac), Robert H. Ennis
Critical Thinking Across The Curriculum (Ctac), Robert H. Ennis
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Implementing critical thinking across the curriculum is challenging, involving securing substantial agreement on the nature of critical thinking, areas of prospective application (subject matter? everyday life?), degree of need for a separate course, and the nature of coordination, including leadership, a glossary, selection of courses for incorporation, avoidance of duplication and gaps, acquiring required subject matter, and assessment of the total effort, teaching methods used, and decrease or increase in retention of subject matter.
Measuring Critical Thinking About Deeply Held Beliefs, Ilan Goldberg, Justine Kingsbury, Tracy Bowell
Measuring Critical Thinking About Deeply Held Beliefs, Ilan Goldberg, Justine Kingsbury, Tracy Bowell
OSSA Conference Archive
The California Critical Thinking Dispositions Inventory (CCTDI) is a commonly used tool for measuring critical thinking dispositions. However, research on the efficacy of the CCTDI in predicting good thinking about students’ own deeply held beliefs is scant. In this paper we report on preliminary results from our ongoing study designed to gauge the usefulness of the CCTDI in this context.
Willingness To Inquire: The Cardinal Critical Thinking Virtue, Benjamin Hamby
Willingness To Inquire: The Cardinal Critical Thinking Virtue, Benjamin Hamby
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Critical thinking skills have associated critical thinking virtues, and the internal motivation to carefully examine an issue in an effort to reach a reasoned judgment, what I call the “willingness to inquire”, is the critical thinking virtue that stands behind all skilled and virtuous thinking that contributes to critical thinking. In this paper, I argue that the willingness to inquire is therefore a more primary critical thinking virtue than charity, open-mindedness, or valuing fallacious-free reasoning.
Is Critical Thinking Across The Curriculum A Plausible Goal?, Donald L. Hatcher
Is Critical Thinking Across The Curriculum A Plausible Goal?, Donald L. Hatcher
OSSA Conference Archive
Critical thinking (CT) is considered an essential educational goal. As a result, many philosophers dreamed their departments would offer multiple sections of CT, hence justifying hiring additional staff. Unfortunately, this dream did not materialize. So, similar to a current theory about teaching writing, “critical thinking across the curriculum” has become a popular idea. While the idea has appeal and unquestionable merit, I will argue that the likelihood the skills necessary for effective CT will actually be taught is minimal.
Critical Thinking And Epistemic Responsibility, David Kary
Critical Thinking And Epistemic Responsibility, David Kary
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An argument developed by Michael Huemer raises doubts about the epistemic responsibility of taking a ‘critical thinking’ approach to belief formation. This paper takes issue with Huemer’s depiction of critical thinking as an approach that rejects all reliance on the intellectual authority of others, and it offers a more realistic depiction. The paper ultimately contends that Huemer’s argument fails because it rests on an impoverished and unaccountably individualistic notion of epistemic responsibility.
Critical Thinking And Informal Logic: Neuropsychological Perspectives, Paul Thagard
Critical Thinking And Informal Logic: Neuropsychological Perspectives, Paul Thagard
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This article challenges the common view that improvements in critical thinking are best pursued by investigations in informal logic. From the perspective of research in psychology and neuroscience, human inference is a process that is multimodal, parallel, and often emotional, which makes it unlike the linguistic, serial, and narrowly cognitive structure of arguments. Attempts to improve inferential practice need to consider psychological error tendencies, which are patterns of thinking that are natural for people but frequently lead to mistakes in judgment. This article discusses two important but neglected error tendencies: motivated inference and fear-driven inference.
Eating Flowers, Holding Hands: Should Critical Thinking Pedagogy ‘Go Wild’?, Benjamin Hamby, Ralph H. Johnson
Eating Flowers, Holding Hands: Should Critical Thinking Pedagogy ‘Go Wild’?, Benjamin Hamby, Ralph H. Johnson
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This paper responds to Anthony Weston’s “What if Teaching Went Wild?” (2004), in which he proposes a radical approach to environmental education, suggesting among other things a stress on “otherness”. Comparing Weston’s proposal to Richard Paul’s (1992) concept of the “strong sense” critical thinker, and to Trudy Govier’s (2010) rationale for her pedagogy of argument, I suggest that “going wild” in standalone critical thinking courses could provide a positive, unsettling push, helping students to reconnect through the otherness of alternative argumentation.
Fallacy Identification In A Dialectical Approach To Teaching Critical Thinking, Mark Battersby, Sharon Bailin, Jan Albert Van Laar
Fallacy Identification In A Dialectical Approach To Teaching Critical Thinking, Mark Battersby, Sharon Bailin, Jan Albert Van Laar
OSSA Conference Archive
The dialectical approach to teaching critical thinking is centred on a comparative evaluation of contending arguments, so that generally the strength of an argument for a position can only be assessed in the context of this dialectic. The identification of fallacies, though important, plays only a preliminary role in the evaluation to individual arguments. Our approach to fallacy identification and analysis sees fal-lacies as argument patterns whose persuasive power is disproportionate to their probative value.
High School Philosophy Teachers’ Use Of Textbooks: Critical Thinking Or Teaching To The Text?, Laura Pinto, Graham P. Mcdonough, Sharon Bailin
High School Philosophy Teachers’ Use Of Textbooks: Critical Thinking Or Teaching To The Text?, Laura Pinto, Graham P. Mcdonough, Sharon Bailin
OSSA Conference Archive
One of the few contexts in which high school students are introduced to argumentation is in philosophy courses. Do such teachers promote critical thinking and argumentation? We present the findings of a mixed-methods empirical study of Ontario high school philosophy teachers, providing insight into the degree to which teachers promote oppositional readings of texts in a manner consistent with critical thinking. We identify the factors that contribute to critical thinking, as well as the barriers, focusing textbooks use.
Reason In The Balance: Teaching Critical Thinking As Dialectical, Sharon Bailin, Mark Battersby, Patrick Clauss
Reason In The Balance: Teaching Critical Thinking As Dialectical, Sharon Bailin, Mark Battersby, Patrick Clauss
OSSA Conference Archive
In this paper we describe the approach to critical thinking pedagogy used in our new text, Reason in the Balance: An Inquiry Approach to Critical Thinking. In this text we concentrate on develop-ing students’ ability to analyze and assess competing arguments in a dialectical context. This approach shifts the emphasis from the more common and traditional approach of evaluating individual arguments and fallacy identification. Our focus is on teaching students to analyze and assess competing arguments sur-rounding an issue with the goal of achieving a reasoned and justifiable judgment (an enterprise we refer to as inquiry).
Should Critical Thinking Courses Include The Critique Of Religious Beliefs?, Donald Hatcher, Mark Battersby
Should Critical Thinking Courses Include The Critique Of Religious Beliefs?, Donald Hatcher, Mark Battersby
OSSA Conference Archive
Over the last few years, there have been five best sellers critical of religion and religious belief. It seems that there is great interest in questions about religious belief. Ironically, critical thinking texts seldom examine the topic. This paper will evaluate eight arguments to exempt religious belief from rational critique. I conclude that the topic of religious belief should not be exempt from critical thinking classes.
Authority Arguments In Academic Contexts In Social Studies And Humanities, Begona Carrascal, Catherine E. Hundleby
Authority Arguments In Academic Contexts In Social Studies And Humanities, Begona Carrascal, Catherine E. Hundleby
OSSA Conference Archive
In academic contexts the appeal to authority is a quite common but seldom tested argument, either because we accept the authority without questioning it, or because we look for alternative experts or reasons to support a different point of view. But, by putting ourselves side by side an already accepted authority, we often rhetorically manoeuvre to displace the burden of the proof to avoid the fear to present our opinions and to allow face saving.
Cognitive Effects Of Argument Visualization Tools, Michael Hoffmann, Fabio Paglieri
Cognitive Effects Of Argument Visualization Tools, Michael Hoffmann, Fabio Paglieri
OSSA Conference Archive
External representations play a crucial role in learning. At the same time, cognitive load theory suggests that the possibility of learning depends on limited resources of the working memory and on cognitive load imposed by instructional design and representation tools. Both these observations motivate a critical look at Computer-Supported Argument Visualization (CSAV) tools that are supposed to facilitate learning. This paper uses cognitive load theory to compare the cognitive efficacy of RationaleTM 2 and AGORA.