Chapter 2 Objectives

• To appreciate that there are ways to (1) detect errors in our thinking, (2) restrain the attitudes and feelings that can distort our reasoning, and (3) achieve a level of objectivity that makes critical thinking effective.
• To understand that the most common barriers to critical thinking can be sorted into two categories: (1) those that arise because of how we think and (2) those that occur because of what we think.

Category 1: How We Think

You will be able to

• detect and overcome self-interested thinking by (1) watching out for instances when your deliberations get personal, (2) being alert to ways that critical thinking can be undermined, and (3) ensuring that no relevant evidence or ideas have been left out.
• appreciate how group thinking can distort critical thinking.
• understand the meaning of peer pressure, appeal to popularity, and stereotyping and be able to cite examples of each.

Category 2: What We Think

You will be able to

• understand what a world view is and how certain specific ideas in a world view can undermine critical thinking.
• critique the notion of subjective relativism.
• critique the notion of social relativism.
• define philosophical skepticism and explain how it relates to critical thinking.