Thanks and acknowledgements |
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ix | |
Preface to the second edition |
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xi | |
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1 | (4) |
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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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3 | (2) |
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What is critical thinking (and why does it matter)? |
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5 | (18) |
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The opposite of uncritical thinking |
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5 | (5) |
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Scepticism and objectivity |
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10 | (2) |
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12 | (2) |
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14 | (2) |
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Allocating your attention |
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16 | (1) |
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Your toolkit for critical thinking |
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17 | (2) |
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What is critical thinking for? |
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19 | (1) |
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20 | (3) |
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PART I THE ART AND SCIENCE OF BEING REASONABLE |
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23 | (150) |
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1 Understanding the reasons behind things |
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25 | (24) |
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What is an argument? Persuasion through reasoning |
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27 | (3) |
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Spotting arguments by searching for a conclusion |
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30 | (2) |
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What isn't an argument? Information without reasoning |
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32 | (6) |
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Explanations: the business of reasoning backwards |
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38 | (5) |
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What isn't an argument? Persuasion without reasoning |
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43 | (4) |
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47 | (2) |
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2 Spelling out arguments and assumptions |
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49 | (28) |
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Premises and conclusions: the standard form |
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51 | (4) |
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Reconstructing extended arguments |
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55 | (3) |
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A step-by-step guide to reconstructing arguments |
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58 | (11) |
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A few further words about assumptions |
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69 | (2) |
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71 | (4) |
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75 | (2) |
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3 Reasoning with logic and certainty |
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77 | (18) |
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Introducing deductive reasoning |
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79 | (2) |
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Valid and invalid arguments |
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81 | (3) |
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Necessary and sufficient conditions |
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84 | (2) |
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Two types of valid and invalid reasoning |
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86 | (3) |
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Sound and unsound arguments |
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89 | (3) |
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92 | (3) |
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4 Reasoning with observation and uncertainty |
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95 | (24) |
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97 | (1) |
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Introducing inductive force |
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98 | (2) |
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Induction and everyday language |
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100 | (3) |
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Addressing uncertainty through probability |
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103 | (4) |
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107 | (4) |
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111 | (2) |
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Induction and falsification |
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113 | (2) |
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115 | (4) |
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5 Developing explanations and theories |
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119 | (24) |
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121 | (3) |
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Explanations, theories and hypotheses |
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124 | (2) |
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Moving towards better explanations |
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126 | (3) |
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Moving from evidence to proof |
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129 | (2) |
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Correlation and causation |
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131 | (5) |
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Conducting meaningful research |
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136 | (5) |
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141 | (2) |
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6 Assessing evidence and planning your reading strategy |
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143 | (30) |
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Engaging critically with primary and secondary sources |
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146 | (9) |
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Creating a strategy for critical reading |
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155 | (7) |
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Note-taking and critical engagement |
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162 | (8) |
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170 | (3) |
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PART II BEING REASONABLE IN AN UNREASONABLE WORLD |
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173 | (158) |
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7 Getting to grips with rhetoric |
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175 | (24) |
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The power of language and rhetoric |
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177 | (3) |
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Putting persuasion in context |
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180 | (2) |
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Analysing a message in detail: emotion and human stories |
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182 | (4) |
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186 | (4) |
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190 | (6) |
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196 | (3) |
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8 Seeing through faulty reasoning |
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199 | (28) |
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Fallacious arguments and faulty reasoning |
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201 | (3) |
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Formal and informal fallacies |
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204 | (1) |
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Informal fallacies of relevance (red herrings) |
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205 | (5) |
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Informal fallacies of ambiguity (linguistic fallacies) |
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210 | (2) |
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Informal fallacies of presumption (material fallacies) |
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212 | (5) |
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Two formal fallacies: affirming the consequent and denying the antecedent |
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217 | (1) |
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The undistributed middle: a formal fallacy |
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218 | (1) |
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Base rate neglect: another formal fallacy |
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219 | (1) |
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From base rate neglect to Bayes's theorem |
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220 | (5) |
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225 | (2) |
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9 Understanding cognitive bias |
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227 | (26) |
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230 | (8) |
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When to trust heuristics and when to distrust them |
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238 | (2) |
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Biases based on how things are presented |
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240 | (3) |
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Biases born from over-simplification |
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243 | (5) |
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Biases born from a lack of insight |
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248 | (2) |
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Behavioural economics and the research context |
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250 | (1) |
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250 | (3) |
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10 Overcoming bias in yourself and others |
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253 | (26) |
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Attaching excessive significance to random events |
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255 | (8) |
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Failing to consider things that didn't happen |
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263 | (4) |
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Over-estimating regularity and predictability |
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267 | (6) |
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Humans: good at social situations, bad with numbers |
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273 | (3) |
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276 | (3) |
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11 Thinking critically about technology |
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279 | (32) |
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From data to knowledge via fake news |
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282 | (6) |
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Social proof and system bias |
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288 | (6) |
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Time, attention and other people |
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294 | (2) |
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Search, discovery and categories of knowledge |
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296 | (6) |
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Practical tips for search, discovery and beyond |
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302 | (6) |
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308 | (3) |
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12 Putting it all together: critical thinking in study, work and life |
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311 | (20) |
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313 | (2) |
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Good academic writing in particular |
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315 | (4) |
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Writing and rewriting in practice |
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319 | (5) |
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Getting the work done: what is holding you back? |
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324 | (2) |
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Critical thinking and you |
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326 | (1) |
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Ten commandments for critical thinking |
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327 | (2) |
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329 | (2) |
And finally... |
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331 | (2) |
Reading guide |
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333 | (4) |
Glossary |
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337 | (14) |
Appendix: A synopsis of five valid forms of argument |
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351 | (4) |
Endnotes |
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355 | (10) |
Index |
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365 | |