Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking

This is an introductory textbook in logic and critical thinking. The goal of the textbook is to provide the reader with a set of tools and skills that will enable them to identify and evaluate arguments. The book is intended for an introductory course that covers both formal and informal logic. As s...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Van Cleave, Matthew (Author)
Format: Electronic eBook
Language:English
Published: Lansing, Michigan Matthew J. Van Cleave [2016]
Series:Open textbook library.
Subjects:
Online Access:Access online version
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

MARC

LEADER 00000nam a2200000 i 4500
001 OTLid0000457
003 MnU
005 20240122145155.0
006 m o d s
007 cr
008 180907s2016 mnu o 0 0 eng d
040 |a MnU  |b eng  |c MnU 
050 4 |a B72 
100 1 |a Van Cleave, Matthew  |e author 
245 0 0 |a Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking  |c Matthew Van Cleave 
264 2 |a Minneapolis, MN  |b Open Textbook Library 
264 1 |a Lansing, Michigan  |b Matthew J. Van Cleave  |c [2016] 
264 4 |c ©2016. 
300 |a 1 online resource 
336 |a text  |b txt  |2 rdacontent 
337 |a computer  |b c  |2 rdamedia 
338 |a online resource  |b cr  |2 rdacarrier 
490 0 |a Open textbook library. 
505 0 |a Chapter 1: Reconstructing and analyzing arguments -- 1.1 What is an argument? -- 1.2 Identifying arguments -- 1.3 Arguments vs. explanations -- 1.4 More complex argument structures -- 1.5 Using your own paraphrases of premises and conclusions to reconstruct arguments in standard form -- 1.6 Validity -- 1.7 Soundness -- 1.8 Deductive vs. inductive arguments -- 1.9 Arguments with missing premises -- 1.10 Assuring, guarding, and discounting -- 1.11 Evaluative language -- 1.12 Evaluating a real-life argument -- Chapter 2: Formal methods of evaluating arguments -- 2.1 What is a formal method of evaluation and why do we need them? -- 2.2 Propositional logic and the four basic truth functional connectives -- 2.3 Negation and disjunction -- 2.4 Using parentheses to translate complex sentences -- 2.5 “Not both” and “neither nor” -- 2.6 The truth table test of validity -- 2.7 Conditionals -- 2.8 “Unless” -- 2.9 Material equivalence -- 2.10 Tautologies, contradictions, and contingent statements -- 2.11 Proofs and the 8 valid forms of inference -- 2.12 How to construct proofs -- 2.13 Short review of propositional logic -- 2.14 Categorical logic -- 2.15 The Venn test of validity for immediate categorical inferences -- 2.16 Universal statements and existential commitment -- 2.17 Venn validity for categorical syllogisms -- Chapter 3: Evaluating inductive arguments and probabilistic and statistical fallacies -- 3.1 Inductive arguments and statistical generalizations -- 3.2 Inference to the best explanation and the seven explanatory virtues -- 3.3 Analogical arguments -- 3.4 Causal arguments -- 3.5 Probability -- 3.6 The conjunction fallacy -- 3.7 The base rate fallacy -- 3.8 The small numbers fallacy -- 3.9 Regression to the mean fallacy -- 3.10 Gambler's fallacy -- Chapter 4: Informal fallacies -- 4.1 Formal vs. informal fallacies -- 4.1.1 Composition fallacy -- 4.1.2 Division fallacy -- 4.1.3 Begging the question fallacy -- 4.1.4 False dichotomy -- 4.1.5 Equivocation -- 4.2 Slippery slope fallacies -- 4.2.1 Conceptual slippery slope -- 4.2.2 Causal slippery slope -- 4.3 Fallacies of relevance -- 4.3.1 Ad hominem -- 4.3.2 Straw man -- 4.3.3 Tu quoque -- 4.3.4 Genetic -- 4.3.5 Appeal to consequences -- 4.3.6 Appeal to authority -- Answers to exercisesGlossary/Index 
520 0 |a This is an introductory textbook in logic and critical thinking. The goal of the textbook is to provide the reader with a set of tools and skills that will enable them to identify and evaluate arguments. The book is intended for an introductory course that covers both formal and informal logic. As such, it is not a formal logic textbook, but is closer to what one would find marketed as a “critical thinking textbook.” 
542 1 |f Attribution 
546 |a In English. 
588 0 |a Description based on online resource 
650 0 |a Humanities  |v Textbooks 
650 0 |a Philosophy  |v Textbooks 
710 2 |a Open Textbook Library  |e distributor 
856 4 0 |u https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/457  |z Access online version