Chapter 13 Ideological Reasoning Think Top Down 2013

Chapter 13 Ideological Reasoning Think “Top Down” © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

“Top Down” Thinking: Recognizing Ideological Reasoning • Ideological reasoning is an important and widely used way of thinking – It offers many benefits, such as in the practice of law – This mode of reasoning comes into play: • Whenever religion, ethics, politics, rules, regulations or policy matters are the focus © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

“Top Down” Thinking: Recognizing Ideological Reasoning • The Media and Politically Engendered Cynicism • We must learn to appreciate ideological reasoning for what it can achieve – And be able to apply it and evaluate it objectively and fair-mindedly © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

“Top Down” Thinking: Recognizing Ideological Reasoning • Ideologically based reasoning is pervasive and important in human affairs • We must learn to recognize ideological reasoning so we can distinguish it from: – Comparative reasoning and from empirical reasoning © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

“Top Down” Thinking: Recognizing Ideological Reasoning • Examples of Ideological Reasoning – Immigration Policy – God’s Existence – Human Nature • Three Features of Ideological Reasoning – (1) It is deductive in character; – (2) the ideological premises are axiomatic; © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

“Top Down” Thinking: Recognizing Ideological Reasoning – (3) the argument maker takes the ideology to be true more or less on faith – The use of the term ideological is meant to be value-neutral – Ideological Reasoning Is Deductive in Character © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

“Top Down” Thinking: Recognizing Ideological Reasoning • For the most part, the conclusions of ideological arguments are presented as certainties • Not all deductive reasoning is ideological – Ideological Premises Are Axiomatic – The Argument Maker Takes the Ideological Absolutes on Faith © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

“Top Down” Thinking: Recognizing Ideological Reasoning • Ideological thinkers consistently regard their absolutes as immune from disconfirmation • Our level of faith and conviction is no measure of the truth of the beliefs we hold so dear • The importance of applying the critical thinking skill of self-regulation – Guided by the habit of truth-seeking and of skepticism © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluating Ideological Reasoning • Are the Ideological Premises True? – The test for truthfulness of the premises is the most important test for ideological reasoning – To apply this test, one must consider all the premises one after another • Logical Strength and Ideological Belief Systems © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluating Ideological Reasoning – Ideological arguments, which are often the product of deductive reasoning: • Generally display reasonable levels of logical strength – Ideological belief structures often contain internal contradictions © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluating Ideological Reasoning • Relevancy, Non-Circularity, and Ideological Reasoning – The Test of Relevancy, tends to yield unambiguously positive results – Our fourth test, non-circularity, produces consternation as well – They are not circular for the most part © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Uses, Benefits, and Risks of Ideological Reasoning • Group Project: Conflicting Principles and Conflicting Positions • Value Judgments • Group Exercise: Why Do We Believe What We Believe? • The Courage to Challenge the Ideologue © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.