This is an ideal book for introductory critical thinking courses. Jeff McLaughlin recognizes that the academic study of reasoning is new to most students and that it can be difficult. He embraces the challenge of presenting philosophical concepts and methods to beginner audiences and succeeds in making the material accessible without compromising rigor and detail.
This book begins with the premise that we are all engaged in critical thinking every day. But just as we may develop bad habits in daily life if we don't scrutinize our practices, so are we apt to develop bad habits in critical thinking if we are careless in our reasoning.
Readers are presented with a traditional step-by-step method for analysis that can be applied to all argument forms. Hundreds of exercises (with solutions) are included, as are several random statement generators that can be used to create thousands of additional examples.
The book also contains truth tables, Venn diagrams, and other essential concepts not merely for academic study but also as tools for better thinking and living.
This is a time when critical thinking is more important than ever. I haven't seen a book like this for decades. This is a book that's worth reading and studying to ensure that we think critically and avoid fallacies in our reasoning.
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