Critical thinking skills are important for a responsible, mature, productive, sustainable, modern adult life!
Critical thinking skills are about reason and logic defeating superstition, pseudoscience, misinformation, propaganda, advertising hype, and spin!
15. JOSEPH
GOEBBELS: ON THE
"BIG LIE"
• “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually
come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the
State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military
consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State
to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal
enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy
of the State.”
27. WRITERS ARE HUMAN BEINGS TOO!
•
They try to influence the world…
•
AND ALSO get influenced by it!
•
They have human nature, with all its
potential for sublimity and immaturity
•
All the quarks of the human mind and its
ability to falsely perceive, remember, or
believe exist for them too
28. CRITICAL THINKING
FOR TEXT CONTENT:
HOW TO Do IT
Overview:
Core types of influence
Objective vs. subjective observation /
commentary
Deductive and inductive logic
Fallacies
Beware Psychological Manipulation
Reason
The „Baloney Detection Kit‟
Identifying argument components
Types and levels of claims
Types of support for claims
Motives and Context
Diction and Tone
Genre
Beware Paraphrases
Clarifying Tools
29. THE CORE TYPES OF INFLUENCE
• PATHOS = Emotions
• ETHOS = Credibility
• LOGOS = Evidence
Grrr, what is
being used
on me right
now?
31. DEDUCTIVE AND INDUCTIVE REASONING
• Deductive = step by step chain of observations leading to
conclusions
• Inductive = conclusions based on data which reveals patterns
32. EXAMPLES OF FALLACIES
•
• Wishful
Thinking
•
Argumentum e silentio
•
Argumentum verbosium
•
Circular reasoning
•
Continuum fallacy
•
Fallacy of division
•
False dichotomy
•
Gambler's fallacy
•
• Appeal to
emotion
• Appeal to fear
• Appeal to flattery
• Appeal to pity
• Appeal to ridicule
• Appeal to spite
Argumentum ad nauseam
Hedging
•
Historian's fallacy
•
Inflation of conflict
•
Kettle logic
•
Mind projection fallacy
•
Moral high ground fallacy
Psychologist's fallacy
•
Argumentum ad ignorantiam
Prosecutor's fallacy
•
•
•
Red herring
•
Referential fallacy
•
Retrospective determinism
•
Shotgun argumentation
•
Special pleading
•
Personal attacks
•
Accident
•
Cherry picking
•
Hasty generalization
•
Misleading vividness
•
Overwhelming exception
•
Thought-terminating cliché
•
Ad hominem
•
Poisoning the well
•
Broken window fallacy
•
Judgmental language
35. REASON AND THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
• Formulation of a question
• Hypothesis
• Prediction
• Testing
• Analysis
• PEER access
and review!
• Right to CHANGE
worldview!
36. THE "BALONEY DETECTION KIT" CHECKLIST
•
How reliable is the source of the claim?
•
Does the source make similar claims?
•
Have the claims been verified by somebody else?
•
Does this fit with the way the world works?
•
Has anyone tried to disprove the claim?
•
Where does the preponderance of evidence point?
•
Is the claimant playing by the rules of science?
•
Is the claimant providing positive evidence?
•
Does the new theory account for as many phenomena as the old theory?
•
Are personal beliefs driving the claim?
41. TYPES OF EVIDENCE / SUPPORT
• Textual: Quotes, paraphrases, summaries
• Stories or anecdotes
• Statistics
• Expert Authority
• Visuals: graphics, charts, etc.
• Historical facts
• Analogies: Comparisons, metaphors, and similes
42. MOTIVES AND CONTEXT
•
When and where did the author of this content live?
•
Why was this content created?
•
Why are you reading it?
•
What is the author trying to achieve with this piece?
•
What is the author trying to achieve with his career or even life?
•
Did social, economic, political, or other forces affect the author?
•
What events occurred in the author‟s past that could have shaped his worldview?
•
What other works has this author done? Is there a theme to or thread through his works?
•
Did this work have an editor?
•
Did this work have a „target market‟ it was focused on satisfying?
•
YOU bring yourself to this exercise! Consider your own humanity! The writer of the piece
has that same humanity and lives amongst the same micro, macro, physical and
psychological forces.
43. DICTION AND TONE
•
What are they?
•
Are they shifting?
•
These can reveal or „tip‟ the FULL meaning and implications of a chunk of text.
GENRE
44. BEWARE PARAPHRASES
• Check the Works
Cited!
• Make the effort to actually track down some
of those works that were cited! Then read
them and come to your own conclusions.
• If no works were cited that might become a
concern.
In a nutshell it is about the quest for truth through reasonScientific methodAnd ‘robustness’ or ‘savvy’ and BRAVE evaluation and reflection on CLAIMS put in front of you.-ReasonLogic“Logos”A brave mature quest to determine actual cause and effect relationshipsVs. hype PufferyLiesDelusionsFantasySuperstitionSlanderDefamationHysteriaMadnessIrrational phobiasPrejudiceIgnoranceMisperceptionBeware agendas of the content creator that might be in tension with truth or the full truth.WealthPowerFor exampleBeware PATHOS in obscene imbalance!
Beware cobwebs of the mind-Wackos are out thereSkillful greedy manipulators are out there!Complex economic and political forces are out thereMarketsConcrete junglesConfusing labyrinths to navigate-Some CONTEXT and MACRO overview-It is about valuesThe value of truthRespect for truthDeep or robust inquiry and reflectionTestingTrying to see all the ‘angles’ or as many as you can
A never ending stream of new tech and science claims and innovationsTo try to understandAnd perhaps even purchase!To evaluateWhy do I careDo I need thisAre the CLAIMS being made legit
In addition to all this-Elaborate ‘influence labyrinths’ currently existLabyrinths or robust humming vast marketplaces of stuff and influence as the ‘oil’ or ‘electricity’ in the machine.Reality-Truth is not the only driver of human behavior…LoveSexMoneyPowerVanityEgoImaginationDreams / day dreams / visions Etc.Etc.Exist also-The real world-‘o so human’ AGENDAS often come in tension with TRUTH.-And the need to influenceTo get MONEY / POWER / SEX / LOVE etc.-
This is not always about ‘radical greed’But survivalThrough DOL / tradeWhich has influence / communications as the ‘oil’ or electricity in the epic ‘machine’.To get the weaving of the various talents to occur properly.-Competition is also a very real factorIts not always enough to be talentedBut the real fruits or treasures go to the WINNERYou get these dysfunctional winner take all total war arm’s races, thus
AdsAre drinks OR EVEN a DRY product like insurance sold with just logosMostly they are sold with PATHOS and some logos-Partisan demagogues-
Competition!-North Korea statue to ‘great dear leader’ Kim il SungHitler Youth rally-
…Corrupts absolutely--LiesSeductionFearHypeMental emotional social domination=POWER--Epic overwhelming info / awareness and ultimately over time relationship depth and scale and consolidation or monopolization.--The core point I am making here is MOTIVATIONS or agendas drivers of human behaviorAnd values exist that are not only truth in the real worldAnd routinely go into conflict with truth or facts
Third Reich minister of propaganda.
The cult of personality is centuries oldRoyalsEmperorsDictatorsPharaohsCelebritiesHeads of statePopesOn and onRevere me!Love and fear meWorship meGive me all your time, energy, money, power, attention, etc.I am special!I am important!!!I am a supermanI am better than youI know moreThe gods chose me somehow!Divine right of kings!!!
LoveSexEmotional Physiological needs
Hypodermic infotainment spectacle junkiesRatings arm’s race $$$ for the content suppliersAnd an ‘escape’ riveting can’t look away train wreck SHOW for the content consumersDRAMAPlaysMoviesTVNovelsEtc.It is all really SHOW business.-Drama or CONFLICT is riveting and thus dominates TVIncluding newsDrama or conflict and PATHOS dominates pop cultureTV, music, radio, magazines, etc.-
Monstrous pure evilSerial felon style diabolical sinister demon evil monster Is NOT always the caseNobody knows everything and people make mistakesThey are ignorantThey believe unrealistic or ‘off’ thingsThey have cobwebs of the mindOr are immatureOut of touch with all the relevant data / facts etc.-It’s a big worldNobody knows everything!There is a lot to explore!Nobody starts off in life as a master of anythingEven a master of something is not a master of everythingEven today the best scientists will say that the bulk of the ocean is not exploredEntire species may have not yet been discoveredWe have scratched just the surface of our solar system, not to mention our galaxy or universe!Mysteries await
Dreams / creativity /
One theory or CLAIM as to why the seasons occur…Raise your hand if you believe this theory is valid?;)-An explanation for seasonal weather changes.
If you lived your whole life from birth on an island what might your worldview be?Towards weatherTowards mysterious diseases and creaturesEtc.It would surely be highly flawed.You are NOT really smarter than people in past centuries but you have had ACCESS to the LATEST expert info. You have ‘stood on the shoulder’s’ of hundreds or thousands of experts and their books and claims and insights and discoveries!!!
A monsterA stickA shadowA duck?What do you WANT to see? Hope…dream…wish…to see??!What do you EXPECT to see?-People are PATTERN recognition seeking beings.-
Hypodermic?!JunkiesDreamsImaginationPlayLoveWonderAweFantasyCreativity-In a nutshell-Fantasy can be pleasurable and addictive!
All of the human nature you have and that you find in the macro markets around you for influence for wealth and power and sex etc. etc.All that raw human nature exists with writers tooAlmost everybody has an agendaOr a personalityA past a future A desireOpinionsLife experiencesAnd are usually try to influence youOften to at the very least improve their ‘brand’ reputation and grow their fame / career-LOLA Nightmare on MLA Street…-In addition to agendas and values contrary to truthThere are people who simply make logical fallaciesEither as honest mistakeAnd also sometimes as conscious strategic ploy or scheme--A fallacy is incorrect argument in logic and rhetoric resulting in a lack of validity, or more generally, a lack of soundness. Fallacies are either formal fallacies or informal fallacies.
Perceived cred of the content creator / supplier / sourceIn reality this chart is very simplisticThere are aspects to eachAnd they can blend and merge partially-The two images MOST likely lean ethos or pathos but depending on the nature of the story or context might be all three or any of the threeIf you are a vet…If you have some adorable story of your petOr some wild story and lesson from a frat nightOr you SHOW your degreeI have a masters degree from HarvardPeople go WOW cool ImpressiveYou must be SMARTEven before you start your rhetoric
For writers and speakers.-This is NOT a full list!WOW-an error in logic -A fallacy is incorrect argument in logic and rhetoric resulting in a lack of validity, or more generally, a lack of soundness. Fallacies are either formal fallacies or informal fallacies.-
Cialdini's Six Principles of InfluenceConvincing Others to Say "Yes”--The six principles are as follows:1. ReciprocityAs humans, we generally aim to return favors, pay back debts, and treat others as they treat us. According to the idea of reciprocity, this can lead us to feel obliged to offer concessions or discounts to others if they have offered them to us. This is because we're uncomfortable with feeling indebted to them.For example, if a colleague helps you when you're busy with a project, you might feel obliged to support her ideas for improving team processes. You might decide to buy more from a supplier if they have offered you an aggressive discount. Or, you might give money to a charity fundraiser who has given you a flower in the street.2. Commitment (and Consistency)Cialdini says that we have a deep desire to be consistent. For this reason, once we've committed to something, we're then more inclined to go through with it.For instance, you'd probably be more likely to support a colleague's project proposal if you had shown interest when he first talked to you about his ideas.3. Social ProofThis principle relies on people's sense of "safety in numbers."For example, we're more likely to work late if others in our team are doing the same, put a tip in a jar if it already contains money, or eat in a restaurant if it's busy. Here, we're assuming that if lots of other people are doing something, then it must be OK.We're particularly susceptible to this principle when we're feeling uncertain, and we're even more likely to be influenced if the people we see seem to be similar to us. That's why commercials often use moms, not celebrities, to advertise household products.4. LikingCialdini says that we're more likely to be influenced by people we like. Likability comes in many forms – people might be similar or familiar to us, they might give us compliments, or we may just simply trust them.Companies that use sales agents from within the community employ this principle with huge success. People are more likely to buy from people like themselves, from friends, and from people they know and respect.5. AuthorityWe feel a sense of duty or obligation to people in positions of authority. This is why advertisers of pharmaceutical products employ doctors to front their campaigns, and why most of us will do most things that our manager requests.Job titles, uniforms, and even accessories like cars or gadgets can lend an air of authority, and can persuade us to accept what these people say.6. ScarcityThis principle says that things are more attractive when their availability is limited, or when we stand to lose the opportunity to acquire them on favorable terms.For instance, we might buy something immediately if we're told that it's the last one, or that a special offer will soon expire.Warning:Be careful how you use the six principles – it is very easy to use them to mislead or deceive people – for instance, to sell products at unfair prices, or to exert undue influence.
The crux of it is ROBUST brave real actual credible ongoing exploration reflection testing To determine ACTUAL cause and effect relationships Peer analysisAbility / maturity and right to CHANGE or evolve your worldview
Michael shermerSkeptic magazine--“The chief characteristic which distinguishes the scientific method from other methods of acquiring knowledge is that scientists seek to let reality speak for itself,[discuss] supporting a theory when a theory's predictions are confirmed and challenging a theory when its predictions prove false.”-Wikipedia--
Motive / issue / problem
The master claim is the ‘thesis’--How many claims are being made?What is the connection / relationship amongst these claims?What is the master claim that is trying to be madeOr the core claims?Do all the claims impress me?Convince me?Does the relationship amongst the claims or the ‘case’ impress me?
Have poor logic and lots of ‘gaps’ or holes in the claims or connections between pointsHave not much supportAnd poor logic / reasoningWith gaps holes and fallacies
In writing scenariosIn a paper or book
Their and your!-Agendas?-
SarcasmAngryLightPlayfulIntenseDramaticWhimsicalCuriousHurtFrustratedLonelyDreamyOutragedShockFlabbergastedEtc. etc.
Use the works cited!Track down those references!
Get let your honest attempt to learn and grow and be a classy productive adult get slashed by fallacies, delusions, and propaganda!!!
Carl saganJamesrandhiMichael shermerRichard dawkins
A human being is an emotional being Dare I say spiritualAnd yet reasoning and critical thinking skills are master keys to a healthy sustainable productive and responsible adult lifeLogos and Pathos can be friends in mature balance…I leave you with this passage from the play Romeo and Juliet“dreamers often lie…”
Let’s give it up for the best slideshow EVER! As seen in Miss. F’s ENG 111 Tuesday class!Dimension X angel fairy conference approved!
