Critical Thinking and Communication

Preface.

I. BUILDING A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK.

1. Arguments and Argumentation, and Critical Thought.

The Process of Critical Thought.

Argumentation and Arguments.

Argument Contexts.

 

2. How Arguments Work: Developing a Co-Orientation.

Perspectives on Argument.

Arguer-Based Approaches.

Co-Orientational Approach.

 

3. Argument Analysis and Criticism.

Benefits of Argument Analysis.

An Approach for Analysis.

Understanding Fallacies.

Types of Fallacies. 

II. PARSING ARGUMENTS.

4. Argument Claims and Propositions.

The Nature of Claims and Propositions.

Formulating a Proposition.

Classification of Claims.

 

5. Evidence: The Foundation for Arguments.

The Nature of Evidence.

Types of Evidence.

Evaluating Fact and Opinion Evidence.

Evaluating Statistical Evidence.

Presenting Evidence.

Research Strategies for Locating Evidence.

 

6. Reasoning.

Formal Logic and Practical Reasoning.

Reasoning as Inference Making.

III. ARGUING EXTENDED CASES.

7. Arguing about Facts and Case Construction.

Arguing about Facts, Values, and Policies.

Relating Facts, Values and Policies.

Issue Mapping.

Principles of Case Construction.

Stock Issues in Fact-Based Cases.

Principles of Refutation.

The Issues Brief.

 

8. Arguing about Values.

Values and Value Systems.

The Process of Value Change.

Values and Argumentation.

Stock Issues for Value Arguments.

The Issues Brief.

 

9. Arguing about Policies.

Policy Arguments and Policy Systems.

Stock Issues in Policy Arguments.

Issues Brief.

Alternative Formats for Arguing Policies.

Alternative Formats for Refuting Policy Arguments.

IV. COMMUNICATING ARGUMENTS.

10. Culture and Language.

Culture and Argumentation.

Language and Argumentation.

 

11. Arguers, Recipients, and Ethics.

The Nature of Argument Recipients.

The Audience and Argumentation.

The Arguer and Argumentation.

Ethics and Argumentation.

Developing an Ethical Code.

 

 

Appendix A: Intercollegiate Debate.

 

Appendix B: Answers to Selected Exercises.