PHL 221 CRITICAL THINKING
FIRST MIDTERM STUDY GUIDE

Note: I added a few questions this term which are not covered in the audio review. These are questions based on the reading to help you review it more thoroughly. Consult the three readings in Week One for the answers. I've put the new questions in bold.

Go over your notes from class videos, the readings and take the two sets of practice questions. There will be 70 questions on the actual exam. You are allowed a 3x5 card of notes (both sides). To guide your study, use the review questions below:

What is the correspondence theory of truth and how is it different from the relativist theory? According to the arguments presented in reading and in class, which is the better theory and why? What is Shroedinger’s Cat and which theory does it support? What is the law of excluded middle? Why were Emoto’s water experiments and the double-slit experiment brought up in class? Why is precise language important in philosophy and critical thinking? What's the different between truth and justification (evidence, "proof")? What is knowledge? How is skepticism different from relativism?

As defined in class, what is critical thinking? What is its goal? What features characterize it? How are feelings related to critical thinking? Is empathy a necessary part of critical thinking? Why is bias bad? How is philosophy related to critical thinking?

Under what conditions, if any, does Clifford say you are morally permitted to believe something without sufficient evidence? What is his ship owner example and what is it supposed to prove? Why does Clifford say unjustified beliefs (that is, beliefs without sufficient evidence) are morally wrong? According to Clifford, are your beliefs your own business? Why or why not? Following Clifford, what metaphor does the instructor use for a person walking around with unjustified beliefs?

Define the following terms: Argument, premise, conclusion, deductive, inductive, valid/invalid, strong/weak, sound/unsound. What is an implied premise or conclusion? What’s the difference between an implied and a background belief?

You should know the basic logical operators and how they determine the truth value of complex statements: negation, conjunction, disjunction and implication. You should also know the difference between the antecedent and the consequent in a statement of implication.

You will be given many examples of arguments and asked to identify premises and conclusion, including implied premises and conclusions. You will also be asked to identify whether an argument is one of the basic valid arguments forms (modus ponens, modus tollens, disjunctive syllogism or dilemma) or one of the basic formal fallacies (denying the antecedent, asserting the consequent).