A Brief Introduction to Critical Thinking
We will meet weekly to watch a series of short and very good videos on critical thinking. The videos will come from the reputable site, Wireless Philosophy (https://www.wi-phi.com/), and we will follow the syllabus curated by the teaching site, Khan Academy (https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/wi-phi). Each week we will discuss a lecture and then apply its principles. Critical thinking involves the reasoned assessment of arguments. We will look at deductive and inductive reasoning, at truth, validity, and soundness, and at concepts of correlation and causation in probabilistic reasoning. We will also look at some fallacies and cognitive biases that are common in arguments.
Tuesday 14 January 2025
Introduction to Critical Thinking
Access through https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/wi-phi/wiphi-critical-thinking
(You may have to negotiate your way through the fundraising thicket.)
Tuesday 21 January 2025
2. Deductive Arguments
Access through https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/wi-phi/wiphi-critical-thinking
Tuesday 28 January 2025
3. Abductive Arguments
Access through https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/wi-phi/wiphi-critical-thinking
Tuesday 4 February 2025
4. Validity
Access through https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/wi-phi/wiphi-critical-thinking
Tuesday 11 February 2025
5. Truth and Validity
Access through https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/wi-phi/wiphi-critical-thinking
Tuesday 18 February 2025
6. Soundness
Access through https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/wi-phi/wiphi-critical-thinking
Tuesday 25 February 2025
7. Bayes Theorem
Access through https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/wi-phi/wiphi-critical-thinking
Tuesday 4 March 2025
8. Correlation and Causation
Access through https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/wi-phi/wiphi-critical-thinking
Tuesday 11 March 2025
The Library will be offering March Break programming.
Tuesday 18 March 2025
Fallacies: Formal and Informal Fallacies
Access through https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/wi-phi/wiphi-critical-thinking
Tuesday 25 March 2025
Fallacies: Fallacy of Composition
Fallacies: Fallacy of Division
Access through https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/wi-phi/wiphi-critical-thinking
Tuesday 1 April 2025
Fallacies: Introduction to Ad Hominem
Fallacies: Ad Hominem (Part 2)
Access through https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/wi-phi/wiphi-critical-thinking
Tuesday 8 April 2025
Fallacies: Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc
Access through https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/wi-phi/wiphi-critical-thinking