Asking the Right Questions Chapter 1 UI 100

Asking the Right Questions Chapter 1 UI 100 62 & 78

Asking the Right Questions u We are constantly bombarded with information – What do you do with it? – How do you process it?

Asking the Right Questions u If you hear something on the news or read something in a magazine, do you – always believe it? – think about it skeptically? – never believe anything you hear on the news?

Asking the Right Questions u What can help us to make sound decisions? – Critical thinking

Asking the Right Questions u Critical Thinking: – Consists of an awareness of a set of interrelated critical questions, plus the ability and willingness to ask and answer them at appropriate times

Asking the Right Questions u Two different thinking styles – Sponge Approach u Most commonly used thinking style u Encourages “absorbing” as much information as you are able u Does not require strenuous mental effort u Provides no method for deciding which information to believe and which to reject

Asking the Right Questions – Panning-for-Gold Approach u Requires you to ask frequent questions u Reflect on the answers u Requires active participation u Requires a question-asking attitude

Asking the Right Questions u Turn to page 4 in your textbook u We will read the gun-control argument

Asking the Right Questions u If you apply the sponge approach, what would you learn? u If you apply the panning-for-gold approach, what would you learn? – What does author mean by “overwhelming majority” or by “typical murderer? ” – Were statistics provided accurate?

Asking the Right Questions – What possible benefits of gun control are not mentioned? – Have important studies that disagree with the author’s position been omitted? – Is it legitimate to assume that because some famous people own guns, then owning guns is desirable? – How many people are killed each year by handguns who would not have been killed were such guns not available?

Asking the Right Questions u Meet the Press video clip

Asking the Right Questions u The “Right Answer” – With human behavior is there always a right answer? – Do you think that a right answer for me may be a right answer for you? – Why not?

Asking the Right Questions u Most of you already have opinions about personal and social issues. – Abortion – Gun control – Welfare u You bring these initial opinions with you to what you hear and read

Asking the Right Questions u You need to use your critical thinking skills to – defend or – evaluate and revise your initial beliefs

Asking the Right Questions u Weak-sense critical thinking: – When you approach critical thinking as a method for defending your initial beliefs. – You use weak-sense critical thinking if you are unconcerned with moving toward truth or virtue.

Asking the Right Questions u Strong-sense critical thinking: – Requires us to apply the critical questions to all claims, including our own. – Does not force you to give up initial beliefs. – Can provide a basis for strengthening those beliefs.

Asking the Right Questions u The skills you will learn as a critical thinking will greatly improve your writing and speaking. u Critical thinking will enhance your understanding of other people’s expectations. u You must practice these skills!!

Asking the Right Questions “Skill depends on practice, for it is only with practice that one becomes good at anything” ~Eleanor Roosevelt