PHL 221 CRITICAL THINKING
SECOND MIDTERM STUDY GUIDE

Go over your notes from class videos, the readings and take the two sets of practice questions. There will be 50 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 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 were the two purposes of the example of the four cards, with a letter on one side and a number on the other,  labeled D F 3 and 7? Why is formal logic not as useful in analyzing real world problems? What is confirmation bias? Is it rational to privilege your own beliefs to the degree that they are part of a carefully scrutinized and researched system, backed by evidence?

What's the difference between an inductive and deductive argument? How is being a valid or inductively strong argumentWhat are two ways in which an *any* argument (inductive or deductive) may go wrong thus be invalid or unsound? What's the difference between a formal and an informal fallacy in an inductive argument? 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 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 it 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? What are three common types of informal arguments besides argument by analogy and reductio 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 questions.