critical reasoning--Understanding and Criticizing Arguments and Theories [6th edition]

《critical reasoning--Understanding and Criticizing Arguments and Theories [6th edition]》由会员上传分享，免费在线阅读，更多相关内容在学术论文-天天文库。

1、
CHAPTERONEDecidingWhattoBelieveWhenyoureadanewspaperorbook,listentosomeonespeak,orevenjustthinkbyyourself,youfacedecisionsaboutwhattobelieve.Shouldyouacceptanews-papereditorial’sargumentthatsmokingaroundnonsmokersviolatestheirrights?Shouldyoubepersuadedbyy

2、ourprofessor’sreasoningthatpleabargaininginthecriminalcourtsshouldbeeliminated?Shouldyouagreewithatelevisioncom-mentatorthatcertaindrugsshouldbelegalized?Shouldyoualteryourattitudetowardabortionwhenafriendpointsoutthatitisinconsistentwithsomeofyourotherbeli

3、efs?Shouldyoubeledbyyourownconsiderationstotheconclusionthatassistedsuicideshouldnotbemadelegal?Youalreadyevaluateargumentsaboutissuesliketheseeveryday.Inthissense,criticalreasoning—thesubjectofthisbook—isnotentirelynewtoyou.Butthisbookwillofferacollectiono

4、fpro-ceduresthatwillenableyoutocarryoutthisactivitymorecarefullyandsystem-atically.Thisshouldhelpyoudevelopyourownpositiononsuchissuesmoreeffectively.Criticalreasoning,then,isconcernedwithdecidingwhattobelieve,butthisisnottosaythatcriticalreasoningalonecant

5、ellyouwhattobelieve.Criticalrea-soningisnotamagicaltechniqueguaranteedtotellyouwhethertoacceptapar-ticularbeliefinisolation.Itdoesnotoperateinavacuum.Todecidewhetherdrugsshouldbelegalized,forexample,youwouldneedsupportinginformation.Youwouldprobablywanttokn

6、owtheextentofdruguseunderpresentlaws,thenatureofillegaldrugtraffickingandtheharmitproduces,theprobableeffectsofdifferentplansforlegalization(Woulddruguseincrease?Bywhom?Howmuch?),andsoon.Butinevaluatingwhatappearstobe“information”onthesesubjectsandinjudging

7、whetherthisinformationjustifiestakingaparticularposi-tionontheissue,criticalreasoningshouldplayacrucialrole.12CHAPTERONEThetechniquesofcriticalreasoningthatwedescribeinthisbookassumethatyoualreadyhavemanybeliefsandthatyouusethesebeliefstodecidewhethertoacce

8、ptnewargumentspresentedtoyou.Forexample,supposesomeoneclaimsthatdrugusewouldn’tincreasesignificantlyifdrugswerelegalized.Youwillbeinclinedtoacceptorrejectthis,dependingonyourbeliefsaboutpeople—howtempt