Question: According to the text, how do the views of stronger, more developed critical thinkers toward authority differ from those in earlier stages of cognitive development?
Question: Briefly, in your own words, state how the text defines “expert.”
Question: When presented with a claim unsupported by reasons (for example, “the health risks of vaping have been underestimated”), what three options does a critical thinker have to evaluate such a claim?
Question: Is the following statement true or untrue? Explain your answer. “If a claim cannot be confirmed by an independent investigation, then it must be false.”
Question: Is the following statement true or untrue? Explain your answer. “If we do not believe that a claim is true, then we must believe that the claim is false.”
Question: What four conditions must an argument meet if we are to accept the worthiness and reasonableness of its conclusions?
Question: In an argument with two or more independent reasons, if one of those reasons turns out to be false, how does a critical thinker apply the test of logical strength to the argument? Should the critical thinker reject such an argument? Explain your answer.
Question: Erwin is charged with statutory rape, which is defined as a having sex with a minor, a person under the age of 18. Erwin argues: “You can’t arrest me just because she’s 17 and I’m 21. Yes, we had sex, but it was consensual, plus she will be 18 in two weeks, and we are planning to get married.” Which of the four tests of worthiness does Erwin’s argument fail? Explain your answer.
Question: Go to Individual Exercises at the end of Chapter 7 and evaluate Example 4, which begins “If God intended marriage…” Assume the premises are true. Applying only tests 2, 3, and 4 (logical strength, relevance and non-circularity), what condition of worthiness and reasonableness does this argument not meet? Explain your answer.
Question: Janet says: “Daria is not a person of color, so I see no reason why we should listen to her on the issue of minority race relations. Jose is Hispanic; he’s the one we should listen to.” As a critical thinker, can you describe, in your own words, the flaw in Janet’s claim? Once you have completed your description in your own words, state which of the tests of worthiness and reasonableness Janet’s argument fails and which fallacy she commits.
