Thinking about Thinking

Critical thinking is a process of testing an argument or observation for legitimacy. (Moore & Parker, 2012) Critical thinking includes deductive and inductive arguments.
One important survival skill humans have is critical thinking. Had our ancestors not had the ability to think critically, we would not be here. When determining the worth of an argument, it is necessary to break an argument into parts. One must determine the premise or premises and conclusion. Had our ancestors not learned that some red berries can kill you, many more would have eaten these berries; destroying the future of the gene pool.
We learned that premises are statements of assumed or known facts which should not contradicts each other. (Moore & Parker, 2012) A conclusion is an assumption drawn from the premises. For example; one premise could be that two dogs sit before you. Another could be that both are white with black spots. Both statements suggest that the dogs belong to the same breed.
We begin thinking critically by identifying the premises, then examining each for soundness. Any vagueness or uncertainty must be determined within the suggestions.
In the case of a deductive argument, the conclusion must be true if the premises are true. (Moore & Parker, 2012) When the truth value of a conclusion is unclear, despite the truth of its premises, it is then an inductive argument. (Moore & Parker, 2012) For example; upon closer observation, one dog is white with black spots while the other is tan with black spots.
My response is different from week one because it is less clinical. I now have a better understanding of what critical thinking is and what types of arguments make up how we think critically.
The course helped me realize just how often I use critical thinking without thinking about it. Weighing the pros and cons of an issue