Glossary
| TERM | DEFINITION |
|---|---|
| Accident Fallacy | A fallacy that occurs when a generally true statement is applied to a specific case that is unusual. |
| Ambiguity Fallacy | A fallacy that occurs when a word having more than one meaning appears in the argument. |
| Analysis | The process of asking what is happening in a message through breaking it into its individual components and asking questions of each section. |
| Appeal to Authority | A fallacy that occurs when the truth of a proposition is thought to rest in the opinion of a famous other or authority. |
| Appeal to Ignorance | A fallacy that occurs when we argue something must be accepted because it cannot be proven otherwise. |
| Appeal to Pity | A fallacy that occurs when an argument attempts to win acceptance by focusing on the unfortunate consequences that will occur if it is not accepted. |
| Argument | Statements that combine reasoning with evidence to support an assertion. |
| Bad Reasons Fallacy | A fallacy that occurs when then we assume the conclusion of an argument to be bad because a part of the argument is bad. |
| Begging the Question | A fallacy that occurs when the conclusion of the argument is also used as one of the premises. |
| Black and White Fallacy | A fallacy that occurs when the audience is only given two choices. |
| Composition Fallacy | A fallacy that occurs when we assume that traits inherent in the parts are also present when the parts are combined into a whole. |
| Critical Thinking | Active thinking in which we evaluate and analyze information in order to determine the best course of action. |
| Deduction | An argument in which the truth of the premises of the argument guarantee the truth of its conclusion. |
| Division | A fallacy that occurs when we assume that the trait of a whole occurs when the whole is divided into its parts. |
| Evaluation | The process of assessing the various claims and premises of an argument to determine their validity. |
| Evidence | Research, claims, or anything else that is used to support the validity of an assertion. |
| Fallacy | A flaw or error in reasoning. |
| Fallacy of Quantitative Logic | A fallacy that occurs when we misuse quantifying words such as “all” or “some.” |
| False Analogy | A fallacy that occurs when there exists a poor connection between two examples used in an argument. |
| False Cause | A fallacy that occurs when there exists a flawed connection between two events. |
| Genetic Fallacy | A fallacy that occurs when the individual is attacked. |
| Hearing | The physiological process of receiving noise and sounds. |
| Imply | To suggest or convey an idea. |
| Induction | An argument in which the truth of its propositions lend support to the conclusion. |
| Infer | To draw a conclusion that rests outside the message. |
| Interpretation | Explaining and extrapolating the conclusions that we draw from a statement. |
| Listening | The psychological process of attaching meaning to the sounds and noises we hear. |
| Masked Man Fallacy | A fallacy that occurs when we substitute parties that are not identical within an argument. |
| Non sequitor | An argument where the conclusion may be true or false, but in which there exists a disconnect within the argument itself. |
| Premise | A proposition (statement) supporting or helping to support a conclusion; an assumption that something is true. |
| Red Herring Fallacy | A fallacy that occurs when an irrelevant issue is introduced into the argument. |
| Self-regulation | The process of reflecting on our pre-existing thoughts and biases and how they may influence what we think about an assertion. |
| Slippery Slope Fallacy | A fallacy that occurs when we assume one action will initiate a chain of events that culminate in an undesirable event. |
| Strawman Fallacy | A fallacy that occurs when the actual argument appears to be refuted, but in reality a related point is addressed. |
| Syllogism | A form of deductive argument in which the conclusion is inferred from the premises. Most syllogisms contain a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion. |
References
Aristotle. (1989). Prior Analytics (Trans. Robin Smith). Cambridge, MA: Hackett Publishing.
Beyer, B. K. (1995) Critical thinking. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation.
Dewey, J. (1933). Experience and education. New York: Macmillan, 1933.
Elder, L. & Richard, P. (1996). Universal Intellectual Standards. Dillon Beach, CA: Foundation for Critical Thinking. Retrieved from: http://www.criticalthinking.org/page.cfm?Pag eID=527&CategoryID=68
Facione, P. A. (1990). Critical Thinking: A Statement of Expert Consensus for Purposes of Educational Assessment and Instruction, The Delphi Report (Executive Summary). Millbrae, CA: California Academic Press.
photo credits
p. 1 Gears in head http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File: Filos_segundo_logo.JPG By Filosofias Filosoficas
p. 2 John Dewey http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/co mmons/9/91/John_Dewey_in_1902.jpg By Postdlf
p. 3 Martha Stewart http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File: Martha_Stewart_nrkbeta.jpg By Alĥemiisto
p. 5 Seat belt http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File: Seat_belt_BX.jpg By Michiel 1972
p. 6 Sharia Law Billboard http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File: Sharia-law-Billboard.jpg By Matt57
p. 7 Toilet http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File: Decorative_toilet_seat.jpg By Bartux
p. 9 World Trade Center Bombing 1993 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File: WTC_1993_ATF_Commons.jpg By Smurfy
p. 12 U.S. Soldiers http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File: US_Navy_060920-N-4097B- 026_Soldiers_from_the_U.S._Army%5E rsquo,s_Apache_Troop,_2nd_Squadron,_ 9th_Cavalry_Regiment_exit_a_home_in_ Muqdadiyah,_Iraq,_after_searching_it.jp g By The United States Navy
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p. 14 Ghost http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File: Radiovector_-_ghost.jpg By Musilupa
p. 14 Star Trek “Let that be your last battlefield.” Posted on YouTube by gregorija1
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p. 15 Blueberry muffin http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File: Muffin_NIH.jpg By 17 Drew