A methodology for improving critical thinking skills in any area.

1. CRITICAL PROCESS
Thinking Systematically

2. OBJECTIVES
• Define the critical process
• List the steps in the process
• Develop tools to effectively evaluate
information
• Name important logical fallacies
• Practice the process
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3. DEFINITION
• Critical analysis is the objective assessment
of something
• Papers
• Books
• Movies
• Work place policies
• Scientific investigations
• Sports plays (arm chair quarter backing)
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4. THE CRITICAL PROCESS
Identification
Analysis
Evaluation
Synthesis
Reflection
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5. IDENTIFICATION
Who, What, When and Where
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6. IDENTIFICATION
Who
created it?
What is it?
When was
it created?
Why was it
created?
• Abu Simbel (1224 BC) –
Temple built by Ramesses II
at the border of Egypt and
Nubia
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7. EXERCISE
• Change
behavior
• Change point of
view
• Provide
information
• Entertain
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8. ANALYSIS
Picking it Apart
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9. TWO APPROACHES
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Intellectual
Purpose
Audience
Thesis
Tone
Technical
Organization &
Structural
Accuracy
Skill

10. WHO IS THE AUDIENCE?
• Who is intended to
use it?
• Is it geared toward a
specific group of
people?
Abu Simbel (1224 BC) –
Temple built by
Ramesses II at the
border of Egypt and
Nubia
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11. WHAT IS THE THESIS?
• What is the main point?
• Does it have a thesis?
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12. WHAT IS THE TONE?
• Tone is the mood
conveyed
• A work may exhibit
several moods, but
usually one prevails
• Factual
• Satiric
• Humorous
• Angry
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13. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE?
• Does it meet the
purpose?
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Abu Simbel (1224 BC) –
Temple built by Ramesses II
at the border of Egypt and
Nubia

14. EXERCISE
• What is the
main point?
• Does it have
a thesis?
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Hogarth–
Gin Lane (1751)

15. EVALUATION
Testing Veracity
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16. AREA FOR EVALUATION
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Technical
Emotional
Appeal
Content
Technical
Format
Function
Critical-
Content

17. EMOTIONAL EVALUATION
Pathos
Ethos
Logos
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18. EVALUATION BASICS
Purpose
Authority
CurrencyAccuracy
Bias

19. PURPOSE
• Does the evidence match the purpose?
• Is there a hidden agenda?
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20. AUTHORITY
• Who wrote it?
• Are they qualified?
• What are the credentials?
• Do a Google search
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21. CURRENCY
• Does the date affect the relevance?
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22. ACCURACY
• Is the source objective
• Does it have bias
• All sites have a bias
• Is this information verifiable
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23. WHAT IS THE SUPPORTING
EVIDENCE?
• Does the evidence relate to the thesis?
• Is the evidence accurate?
• Is the evidence slanted?
• Is the evidence complete?
• Is similar evidence found in other sources?
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24. BIAS
• Is there a bias?
• What are the biases?
• Does the bias affect the accuracy?
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25. IS IT LOGICAL?
• Is the information
consistent
• Does the conclusion
follow from the
argument
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Escher Relativity 1953

26. FALLACIES
Errors in Logic
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27. FALLACIES
• Fallacies are errors
in reasoning
• They fall into several
main groups
• Faulty premise
• Hasty
Generalization
• Missing the point
• Slippery slope
• Appeal to _____
• Straw man
• Diversions
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28. FAULTY PREMISE
• The premise is
the starting
point of an
argument
• A premise can
be stated or
assumed
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E. T. 1982

29. HASTY GENERALIZATION
• This is when people jump
to a conclusion which is
not supported by
evidence
• This can involve
stereotyping or bias
• Sam is riding her bike in
her home town in Maine,
minding her own
business. A station wagon
comes up behind her
and the driver starts
beeping his horn and
then tries to force her off
the road. As he goes by,
the driver yells "get on the
sidewalk where you
belong!" Sam sees that
the car has Ohio plates
and concludes that all
Ohio drivers are jerks.
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30. MISSING THE POINT
• Is discussing an issue
which has nothing to
do with the topic
Smoking is bad for your
health. My brother,
who smokes three
packs of cigarettes a
day, has been
divorced five times.
He has a terrible
problem keeping
committed. So
smoking is bad for his
marriage.
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31. APPEAL TO IGNORANCE
• Since the
conclusion is not
conclusive,
therefore it is not
true
Just because no one
has seen the Loch
Ness Monster does
not mean it doesn’t
exist. So any one
who doubts its
existence is hasty in
saying it does not
exist.
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32. APPEAL TO _____
• This is using someone or
something as authoritative
• Authority
• Common practice
• Emotions
• Fear
• Flattery
• Tradition
• "My fellow Americans...there
has been some talk that the
government is overstepping its
bounds by allowing police to
enter peoples' homes without
the warrants traditionally
required by the Constitution.
However, these are dangerous
times and dangerous times
require appropriate actions. I
have in my office thousands of
letters from people who let me
know, in no uncertain terms,
that they heartily endorse the
war against crime in these
United States. Because of this
overwhelming approval, it is
evident that the police are
doing the right thing."
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33. SLIPPERY SLOPE
• A slippery slope is
when results are
predicted that go
beyond the
evidence
"We've got to stop
them from banning
pornography. Once
they start banning
one form of
literature, they will
never stop. Next
thing you know,
they will be burning
all the books!"
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34. ATTACK
• This fallacy attacks
the opponent’s
• Patriotism
• Moral character
• Intellect
“Andrea Dworkin has
written several
books arguing that
pornography harms
women. But
Dworkin is an ugly,
bitter person.
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35. STRAW MAN
• Uses a weak version of the
opponents opinion
• Bill and Jill are arguing
about cleaning out their
closets:
Jill: "We should clean out
the closets. They are getting
a bit messy."
Bill: "Why, we just went
through those closets last
year. Do we have to clean
them out everyday?"
Jill: "I never said anything
about cleaning them out
every day. You just want too
keep all your junk forever,
which is just ridiculous."
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36. DIVERSIONS
• Are addressing
something else
rather than the
issues
• Saying the same
thing twice
• Giving only two
choices when there
are more choices
• “Grading this exam
on a curve would
be the most fair
thing to do. After
all, classes go more
smoothly when the
students and the
professor are
getting along.
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37. BEGGING THE QUESTION
• Is using the start as
proof of the
conclusion
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Copyright © 1997 Bob West

38. SYNTHESIS
Relationship to Others
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39. ELEMENTS
• Gather all information
• Look at the relationships of information
• Internal
• External
• What do other sources say?
• Are there contradictions?
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40. SYNTHESIS MATRIX
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41. SYNTHESIS GRID
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42. REFLECTION
Relationship to Me
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43. THREE APPROACHES TO
REFLECTION
Mirror
•Self issue
Microscope
•Specific issue
Telescopes
•Global issue
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44. MIRROR APPROACH
Reflection of self
• Who am I?
• What are my
values?
• What am I like
____?
What do I like
about myself
• What don’t I like
about myself
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45. MIRROR EXERCISE
Give me 3 words that describe who you are
1.
2.
3.
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46. These years in silence and reflection made
me stronger and reminded me that
acceptance has to come from within and
that this kind of truth gives me the power to
conquer emotions I didn't even know
existed.
Ricky Martin
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47. MICROSCOPE APPROACH
Makes the small experience large
• Why did this
happen?
• What did I feel?
• What did others
feel?
• What are the
consequences?
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48. MICROSCOPE EXERCISE
Why is this assignment important?
•
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49. TELESCOPES APPROACH
Makes what appears distant, appear closer
• Takes a long
distant view
• Goals
• Dreams
• Possibilities
• World issues
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50. TELESCOPE EXERCISE
How can I take what I have learned to help others?
•
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51. I believe that our society is merely a
reflection of what is going on inside each
and every one of us.
Seal
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52. INTELLECTUAL
REFLECTION
• Issues • Global warming
• Health care
• Poverty
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53. The saddest aspect of life right now is that
science gathers knowledge faster than
society gathers wisdom.
Isaac Asimov
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54. SOCIETY AND CULTURE
REFLECTION
• Recognize our own
culture and
traditions while
gaining
understanding of
other cultures and
traditions.
• Marriage
• Family
• Faith and politics
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55. VALUE AND ETHICS
REFLECTION
• Opportunities to
clarify and develop
in order to make
informed choices.
• Good person
• Success
• Love
• Death
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56. Life can only be understood backwards; but
it must be lived forwards.
Søren Kierkegaard
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57. SUMMARY
• Critical analysis means thoughtfully
evaluation of opinions
• Look for logical flaws that taint an
argument
• Understand the purpose of the piece
• Evaluate the reasoning, technical,
emotional, and intellectual merits.
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58. RESOURCES
• The Nizkor Project. (2009). Fallacies.
http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/
• University of North Carolina. (2010). Fallacies. The
writing center.
http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/fallacies.
html
• University of Sussex. (2010). Critical analysis,
argument and opinion. Sussex Language Institute.
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/languages/1-6-8-2-3.html
• Logical Fallacies and the Art of Debate
http://www.csun.edu/~dgw61315/fallacies.html
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