PHL 221 CRITICAL THINKING
SECOND MIDTERM STUDY GUIDE
There will be 60 questions on the exam. You are allowed a 3x5 card
of notes (both sides). Go over your notes from class sessions for
weeks 4 through 6 (live or audio podcasts) and any videos, along
with the readings and then take the two sets of practice questions.
To guide your study, use the review questions below:
INFORMAL LOGIC
What is the ultimate goal of critical thinking? What is the proper
attitude to adopt when thinking critically? According to material
presented in class, is it more important to be skeptical or "open"?
What is confirmation bias? Is it rational to give additional weight
to your own beliefs to the degree that they are part of a carefully
scrutinized and researched system, backed by evidence? Why is formal
logic not as useful in analyzing real world problems? Even though
deductive arguments guarantee their conclusions with one hundred
percent certainty, why aren't they necessarily better than inductive
arguments, which can only establish their conclusions with a high
degree of probability?
What's the difference between an inductive and deductive argument?
What are two ways in which an any argument (inductive or
deductive) can go wrong thus be invalid or unsound? What's the
difference between a formal and an informal fallacy? When are
appeals to authority fallacious?
In an argument with evidence drawn from reliable sources, is it
important to know anything about the person making the argument?
How, if at all, do issues of privilege, power and difference relate
to understanding and evaluating a logical argument?
What are three general types of informal argument strategies? What
is argument by analogy? In what kinds of arguments is analogical
reasoning most prevalent and useful? What important goal of critical
thinking and need of a rational person does argument by analogy
leverage? What’s problematic with Judas Jarvis Thompson’s violinist
analogy? What is a reductio ad absurdum argument? How are
argument by analogy and reductio arguments similar kinds of
arguments?
For the informal fallacies, make sure you understand the definitions
and can identify particular examples. I also might ask questions
about the fallacies, such as
"Which fallacy most relies on the 'herd mentality?'" Review the
examples used in the handouts and in class, as I may use some of
those examples or very similar ones in many of the exam questions.
What is economics? Why are efficiency gains such an important part
of economics? What point is Bastiat trying to make in his "Petition
of the Candlestick Makers?" What argument type is he employing? Why
are some of the reasons imported goods are often cheaper than
domestically produced goods?
What is the broken window fallacy? What are some of the "unseen"
effects of government policies?
ECONOMICS
What does economist Joseph Schumpeter mean by "creative
destruction"? Why is it a crucial and inherent part of economic
progress? According to information presented in class, does
automation destroy jobs and put a damper on the economy? Why or why
not? What is UBI and how is it related to robotics?
Why are large corporations and chain stores often more efficient
than small, local ones? How can local stores still compete?