Thanks and acknowledgements |
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ix | |
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1 | (2) |
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What this book will help you to do |
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1 | (1) |
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Thinking critically for yourself |
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2 | (1) |
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Thinking critically online |
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2 | (1) |
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What is critical thinking (and why does it matter)? |
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3 | (16) |
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The opposite of uncritical thinking |
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3 | (3) |
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Scepticism and objectivity |
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6 | (3) |
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9 | (1) |
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10 | (2) |
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Allocating your attention |
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12 | (1) |
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Your toolkit for critical thinking |
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13 | (2) |
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What is critical thinking for? |
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15 | (1) |
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16 | (3) |
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PART I THE ART AND SCIENCE OF BEING REASONABLE |
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19 | (130) |
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1 Understanding the reasons behind things |
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21 | (20) |
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What is an argument? Persuasion through reasoning |
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23 | (2) |
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Spotting arguments by searching for a conclusion |
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25 | (3) |
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What isn't an argument? Information without reasoning |
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28 | (4) |
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Explanations: the business of reasoning backwards |
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32 | (3) |
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What isn't an argument? Persuasion without reasoning |
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35 | (4) |
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39 | (2) |
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2 Spelling out arguments and assumptions |
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41 | (24) |
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Premises and conclusions: the standard form |
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43 | (3) |
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Reconstructing extended arguments |
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46 | (4) |
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A step-by-step guide to reconstructing arguments |
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50 | (7) |
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A few further words about assumptions |
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57 | (2) |
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59 | (4) |
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63 | (2) |
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3 Reasoning with logic and certainty |
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65 | (16) |
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Introducing deductive reasoning |
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67 | (1) |
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Valid and invalid arguments |
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68 | (2) |
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Necessary and sufficient conditions |
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70 | (3) |
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Two types of valid and invalid reasoning |
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73 | (4) |
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Sound and unsound arguments |
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77 | (1) |
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78 | (3) |
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4 Reasoning with observation and uncertainty |
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81 | (20) |
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83 | (2) |
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Introducing inductive force |
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85 | (3) |
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Induction and everyday language |
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88 | (1) |
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Addressing uncertainty through probability |
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89 | (2) |
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91 | (3) |
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94 | (1) |
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Induction and falsification |
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95 | (3) |
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98 | (3) |
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5 Developing explanations and theories |
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101 | (20) |
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103 | (2) |
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Explanations, theories and hypotheses |
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105 | (1) |
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Moving towards better explanations |
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106 | (3) |
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Moving from evidence to proof |
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109 | (2) |
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Correlation and causation |
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111 | (4) |
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Conducting meaningful research |
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115 | (4) |
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119 | (2) |
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6 Assessing evidence and planning your reading strategy |
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121 | (28) |
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Engaging critically with primary and secondary sources |
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123 | (8) |
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Creating a strategy for critical reading |
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131 | (5) |
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Note-taking and critical engagement |
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136 | (7) |
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143 | (6) |
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145 | (4) |
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PART II BEING REASONABLE IN AN UNREASONABLE WORLD |
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149 | (136) |
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7 Getting to grips with rhetoric |
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151 | (20) |
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The power of language and rhetoric |
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153 | (2) |
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Putting persuasion in context |
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155 | (2) |
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Analysing a message in detail: emotion and human stories |
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157 | (3) |
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160 | (4) |
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164 | (3) |
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167 | (4) |
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8 Seeing through faulty reasoning |
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171 | (26) |
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Fallacious arguments and faulty reasoning |
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173 | (2) |
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Fallacies, truths and hidden assumptions |
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175 | (2) |
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Informal fallacies of relevance (red herrings) |
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177 | (4) |
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Informal fallacies of ambiguity (linguistic fallacies) |
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181 | (2) |
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Informal fallacies of presumption (material fallacies) |
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183 | (4) |
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Two formal fallacies: affirming the consequent and denying the antecedent |
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187 | (1) |
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The undistributed middle: a formal fallacy |
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187 | (1) |
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Base rate neglect: another formal fallacy |
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188 | (1) |
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From base rate neglect to Bayes's theorem |
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189 | (5) |
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194 | (3) |
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9 Understanding cognitive bias |
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197 | (22) |
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200 | (6) |
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When to trust heuristics and when to distrust them |
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206 | (2) |
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Biases based on how things are presented |
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208 | (3) |
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Biases born from over-simplification |
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211 | (2) |
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Biases born from a lack of insight |
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213 | (2) |
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Behavioural Economics and the research context |
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215 | (2) |
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217 | (2) |
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10 Overcoming bias in yourself and others |
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219 | (22) |
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Attaching excessive significance to random events |
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221 | (7) |
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Failing to consider things that didn't happen |
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228 | (3) |
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Over-estimating regularity and predictability |
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231 | (6) |
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Humans: good at social situations, bad with numbers |
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237 | (2) |
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239 | (2) |
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11 Thinking critically about technology |
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241 | (28) |
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From data to knowledge via fake news |
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244 | (4) |
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Social proof and system biases |
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248 | (6) |
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Time, attention and other people |
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254 | (2) |
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Search, discovery and categories of knowledge |
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256 | (5) |
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Practical tips for search, discovery and beyond |
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261 | (5) |
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266 | (3) |
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12 Putting it all together: critical thinking in study, work and life |
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269 | (16) |
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271 | (1) |
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Good academic writing in particular |
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272 | (4) |
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Writing and rewriting in practice |
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276 | (3) |
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Getting the work done: what is holding you back? |
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279 | (2) |
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Critical thinking and you |
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281 | (2) |
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Ten commandments for critical thinking |
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283 | (1) |
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284 | (1) |
And finally ... |
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285 | (2) |
Reading guide |
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287 | (2) |
Glossary |
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289 | (10) |
A synopsis of five valid forms of argument |
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299 | (4) |
Endnotes |
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303 | (6) |
Index |
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309 | |