Strayer PHIL210 all discussions

"Critical Thinking in the Workplace" Please respond to the following:

· The video clip “Thinking on the Job” in the Webtext this week illustrates the importance of critical thinking, especially in work contexts. Define the concept of critical thinking in your own words. Discuss a time in either your work or personal life in which you needed to be able to use critical thinking to either solve a problem or acquire a skill.

· Determine the manner in which you would show a potential employer that you possess solid critical thinking skills. Give your opinion on whether or not you believe that individuals can increase their critical thinking skills. If you believe that they can, explain certain steps that individuals can take to improve this skill.

Week 2

"Understanding Barriers to Our Own Thinking" Please respond to the following:

· From the www.procon.org Website, read the Pro section and the Con section on your topic. Choose 3 reasons listed under the Pro section and 3 reasons listed under the Con section.

o The Believing Game is "believing" what you don't believe. To play the Believing Game, read either the Pro section or the Con section on the www.procon.org website – whichever argument is in opposition to your position on the chosen issue. Ask the “believing” questions suggested by Elbow, such as "What's interesting or helpful about the view? What would you notice if you believed this view? … In what sense or under what conditions might this idea be true?"

o The Doubting Game is "doubting" what you do believe. To play the Doubting Game, read either the Pro column or the Con column on the www.procon.org Website – whichever argument is in agreement with your position. Ask the “doubting” questions suggested by Elbow, such as the journalistic questions who, what, when, where, why, how.

Week 3

"Understanding and Analyzing Arguments" Please respond to the following:

· Take a position on the following statement: The minimum driving age should be raised to 18. Develop a premise that supports your argument in a valid argumentative form. Ensure that your argument is devoid of any syllogistic errors.

· Based on your position in part 1 of this discussion, indicate whether your argument is either primarily inductive or deductive, and give your opinion on which type of argument you perceive to be more persuasive. Explain why it is important that the form of the argument be so rigidly developed. Determine whether or not the evidence itself is enough to provide a valid argument. Explain why or why not.

Week 4

"Fallacies and Errors in Sound Reasoning" Please respond to the following:

· From the e-Activity, identify the fallacy used in the selected advertisements, discuss the primary reasons why you believe that the advertisers have used the fallacy in question, and examine whether or not their use of this type of fallacy is effective.

· From part 1 of this discussion, consider alternate strategies that the advertisers could have used in order to develop a more sound and persuasive argument. Explain the main reasons why you believe consumers ignore these errors in reasoning.

Week 5

"Identifying Misleading Information in an Argument" Please respond to the following:

· Consider the following argument: There are many arguments for the elimination or modification of current U. S. drug laws, but one of the most persuasive involves what negative effects drug laws are having on society in comparison with the effects of the drugs themselves. In the past ten years, most forms of drug use have dropped significantly, especially among teens. Despite this, non-violent drug offenders accounted for 21.1 percent of the federal prison population. First time drug offenders serve, on average, a sentence three months longer than kidnappers, nine months longer than burglars, and thirty-three months longer than sex abusers. In 1992, the average cost of keeping an inmate in either state or federal prison was about $20,000 per prisoner per year. The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with 455 prisoners per 100,000 population. It is maintaining these prisoners at great expense in an environment where they are unlikely to develop a socially constructive attitude. Perhaps it is time that we reconsider our attitudes toward those who choose to use drugs; failure to do so may cost society even more than it already has.

o Determine whether or not the argument uses any deceptive statistics. Give your opinion on whether or not the argument has persuaded you. Explain why or why not.

o Determine the primary ways in which statistics or authority are used in your current position in developing persuasive arguments, and provide examples of such use.

Week 6

"Identifying Truth or Fiction" Please respond to the following:

· The video clip ‘The Baloney Detection Kit’ in the Webtext this week discusses the many ways in which an effective critical thinker assesses the claims made by others. Explain what you believe is the real difference between ‘science’ and ‘pseudoscience’.

· Examine the key reasons why so many people might seem to be attracted to more pseudoscience-type claims. Describe at least two (2) such claims that you have heard people make, and analyze the main reasons why such claims do or do not meet rigorous scientific methodology standards. Determine at least two (2) ways in which the material discussed this week has changed your own thinking.

Week 7

Understanding the Complexity in Simple Arguments" Please respond to the following:

Consider this scenario: Mr. Brown and Mr. Green have argued several times about which one of them has the slower horse. They have swapped stories, each telling of the races that his horse has lost. However, each man also has failed to convince the other that his horse was the slower one.

Create the best solution for solving the problem of who owns the slower horse. Justify your response.

Explain the main reasons why you believe your solution would solve the two men’s problem of who owns the slower horse. Provide a rationale for your response.

Describe a dilemma of your own with a problem similar to the one in the “Slower Horse” scenario.

Week 8

"The Relationship Between Language and Thinking" Please respond to the following

From the e-Activity, examine whether or not it is possible to think without using language. If you believe it is possible, describe the primary ways in which a person might enact so-called “languageless” thinking. If you believe it is not possible, describe what you foresee as major problems with languageless thinking.

The philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein once stated that "The limits of my language are the limits of my life", for more information on this important and influential philosopher, feel free to check out this video

Watch Video

Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889—1951) The Limits of Language

Duration: (22:27)
User: pangeaprogressredux -Added: 8/20/11

YouTube URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgW_PFl-Xs4

Week 9

"Ethics and Trust in Critical Thinking Decisions" Please respond to the following:

· Imagine you are seeking information on a new car that you are thinking of buying. Determine the level of trust that you would place in information provided by the following: a salesman at the car lot, the dealer’s Website, social media (i.e. Facebook), an associate from work, and finally a close friend. Discuss the key factors involved in assessing the amount of trust that you put into each.

· If you were in a position to persuade another person, explain whether or not you would slant information in such a way as to make your point seem more credible if you sincerely believed that your position was correct. Discuss the primary ethical dilemmas that this scenario could cause for both you and the person whom you are trying to persuade.

Week 10

"The Value of Critical Thinking" Please respond to the following:

· Give your opinion on whether being an effective critical thinker makes decision making easier or more challenging. Justify your response.

· Consider the following statement: “The major difference between a successful person and one that is not successful is that the successful person, over time, tends to make better decisions than the less successful person.” Discuss whether or not you believe this statement to be true. Explain the fundamental ways in which effectively applying critical thinking concepts has helped you to become more successful.

Week 11

"Reflection" Please respond to the following:

· Reflect on what you have learned in this class. Describe the significant ways in which you would be able to utilize critical thinking in your personal and professional life.

· Discuss at least two (2) key concepts that you felt were most impactful to you this term and the manner in which you might use these concepts in the future.