Asking the Right Questions
A Guide to Critical Thinking
10th Edition
Published on 28. July 2011
Book
Paperback/Softback
192 pages
978-0-205-11116-9 (ISBN)
Description
Used in a variety of courses in various disciplines, Asking the Right Questions helps bridge the gap between simply memorizing or blindly accepting information, and the greater challenge of critical analysis and synthesis. Specifically, this concise text teaches how to think critically by exploring the components of arguments--issues, conclusions, reasons, evidence, assumptions, language--and on how to spot fallacies and manipulations and obstacles to critical thinking.
More details
Edition
10th edition
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Pearson Education (US)
Target group
Adult education
Dimensions
Height: 152 mm
Width: 228 mm
Thickness: 10 mm
Weight
263 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-205-11116-9 (9780205111169)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
New editions
M. Neil Browne | Stuart M. Keeley
Asking the Right Questions
Book
09/2014
11th Edition
Pearson
Unfortunately, price unknown
Article is exhausted; no reprint
Previous edition
Book
03/2009
9th Edition
Pearson
€48.46
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Content
Preface
Key ongoing features of Asking the Right Questions
The special features of this new edition
Chapter 1: What are the Issue and the Conclusion?
Kinds of Issues
Searching for the Issue
Searching for the Author's or Speaker's Conclusion
USING THIS CRITICAL QUESTION
Clues to Discovery: How to Find the Conclusion
Critical Thinking and Your Own Writing and Speaking
Narrowing Your Issue Prior to Writing
Practice Exercises
Sample Responses
Chapter 2: What Are the Reasons?
Initiating the Questioning Process
Words that Identify Reasons
Kinds of Reasons
Keeping the Reasons and Conclusions Straight
USING THIS CRITICAL QUESTION
Critical Thinking and Your Own Writing and Speaking
Practice Exercises
Sample Responses
Chapter 3: What Are the Value and Descriptive Assumptions?
General Guide for Identifying Assumptions
Value Conflicts and Assumptions
From Values to Value Assumptions
Typical Value Conflicts
The Communicator's Background as a Clue to Value Assumptions
Consequences as Clues to Value Assumptions
More Hints for Finding Value Assumptions
Finding Value Assumptions on Your Own
USING THIS CRITICAL QUESTION
Values and Relativism
Identifying and Evaluating Descriptive Assumptions
Illustrating Descriptive Assumptions
Clues for Locating Assumptions
Avoiding Analysis of Trivial Assumptions
Practice Exercises
Sample Responses
Chapter 4: Are There Any Fallacies in the Reasoning?
A Questioning Approach to Finding Reasoning Fallacies
Evaluating Assumptions as a Starting Point
Discovering Other Common Reasoning Fallacies
Looking for Diversions
Sleight of Hand: Begging the Question
USING THIS CRITICAL QUESTION
Summary of Reasoning Errors
Expanding Your Knowledge of Fallacies
Fallacies and Your Own Writing and Speaking
Practice Exercises
Sample Responses
Chapter 5: How Good Is the Evidence: Intuition, Personal Experience, Case Examples, Testimonials, and Appeals to Authority?
The Need for Evidence
Locating Factual Claims
Sources of Evidence
Intuition as Evidence
Personal Experience as Evidence
Case Examples as Evidence
Testimonials as Evidence
Appeals to Authority as Evidence
USING THIS CRITICAL QUESTION
EVIDENCE AND YOUR WRITING AND SPEAKING
Practice Exercises
Sample Responses
Chapter 6: How Good Is the Evidence: Personal Observation, Research Studies, and Analogies?
Personal Observation
Research Studies as Evidence
Problems with Research Findings
Generalizing from the Research Sample
Biased Surveys and Questionnaires
Critical Evaluation of a Research-Based Argument
Analogies as Evidence
Identifying and Comprehending Analogies
Evaluating Analogies
USING EVIDENCE IN YOUR OWN WRITING
Research and the Internet
Practice Exercises
Sample Responses
Chapter 7: Are There Rival Causes?
When to Look For Rival Causes
The Pervasiveness of Rival Causes
Detecting Rival Causes
The Cause or a Cause
Rival Causes for Differences Between Groups
Confusing Causation with Association
Confusing "After this" with "Because of this"
Explaining Individual Events or Acts
Evaluating Rival Causes
RIVAL CAUSES AND YOUR OWN COMMUNICATIoN
Exploring Potential Causes
Narrowing Down Your List of Potential Causes
Practice Exercises
Sample Responses
Chapter 8: Are the Statistics Deceptive?
Unknowable and Biased Statistics
Confusing Averages
Concluding One Thing, Proving Another
Deceiving by Omitting Information
Risk Statistics and Omitted Information
USING STATISTICS IN YOUR WRITING
Practice Exercises
Sample Responses
Chapter 9: What Significant Information is Omitted?
The Benefits of Detecting Omitted Information
The Certainty of Incomplete Reasoning
Questions that Identify Omitted Information
The Importance of the Negative View
Omitted Information That Reminas Missing
MISSING INFORMATION IN YOUR OWN ARGUMENTS
USING THIS CRITICAL QUESTION
Practice Exercises
Sample Responses
Chapter 10: What Reasonable Conclusions Are Possible?
Assumptions and Multiple Conclusions
Dichotomous Thinking: Impediment to Considering Multiple Conclusions
Two Sides or Many?
Searching for Multiple Conclusions
Productivity of If-Clauses
Alternative Solutions as Conclusions
The Liberating Effect of Recognizing Alternative Conclusions
All Conclusions Are Not Created Equal
Summary
Practice Exercises
Sample Respones
Final Word
Key ongoing features of Asking the Right Questions
The special features of this new edition
Chapter 1: What are the Issue and the Conclusion?
Kinds of Issues
Searching for the Issue
Searching for the Author's or Speaker's Conclusion
USING THIS CRITICAL QUESTION
Clues to Discovery: How to Find the Conclusion
Critical Thinking and Your Own Writing and Speaking
Narrowing Your Issue Prior to Writing
Practice Exercises
Sample Responses
Chapter 2: What Are the Reasons?
Initiating the Questioning Process
Words that Identify Reasons
Kinds of Reasons
Keeping the Reasons and Conclusions Straight
USING THIS CRITICAL QUESTION
Critical Thinking and Your Own Writing and Speaking
Practice Exercises
Sample Responses
Chapter 3: What Are the Value and Descriptive Assumptions?
General Guide for Identifying Assumptions
Value Conflicts and Assumptions
From Values to Value Assumptions
Typical Value Conflicts
The Communicator's Background as a Clue to Value Assumptions
Consequences as Clues to Value Assumptions
More Hints for Finding Value Assumptions
Finding Value Assumptions on Your Own
USING THIS CRITICAL QUESTION
Values and Relativism
Identifying and Evaluating Descriptive Assumptions
Illustrating Descriptive Assumptions
Clues for Locating Assumptions
Avoiding Analysis of Trivial Assumptions
Practice Exercises
Sample Responses
Chapter 4: Are There Any Fallacies in the Reasoning?
A Questioning Approach to Finding Reasoning Fallacies
Evaluating Assumptions as a Starting Point
Discovering Other Common Reasoning Fallacies
Looking for Diversions
Sleight of Hand: Begging the Question
USING THIS CRITICAL QUESTION
Summary of Reasoning Errors
Expanding Your Knowledge of Fallacies
Fallacies and Your Own Writing and Speaking
Practice Exercises
Sample Responses
Chapter 5: How Good Is the Evidence: Intuition, Personal Experience, Case Examples, Testimonials, and Appeals to Authority?
The Need for Evidence
Locating Factual Claims
Sources of Evidence
Intuition as Evidence
Personal Experience as Evidence
Case Examples as Evidence
Testimonials as Evidence
Appeals to Authority as Evidence
USING THIS CRITICAL QUESTION
EVIDENCE AND YOUR WRITING AND SPEAKING
Practice Exercises
Sample Responses
Chapter 6: How Good Is the Evidence: Personal Observation, Research Studies, and Analogies?
Personal Observation
Research Studies as Evidence
Problems with Research Findings
Generalizing from the Research Sample
Biased Surveys and Questionnaires
Critical Evaluation of a Research-Based Argument
Analogies as Evidence
Identifying and Comprehending Analogies
Evaluating Analogies
USING EVIDENCE IN YOUR OWN WRITING
Research and the Internet
Practice Exercises
Sample Responses
Chapter 7: Are There Rival Causes?
When to Look For Rival Causes
The Pervasiveness of Rival Causes
Detecting Rival Causes
The Cause or a Cause
Rival Causes for Differences Between Groups
Confusing Causation with Association
Confusing "After this" with "Because of this"
Explaining Individual Events or Acts
Evaluating Rival Causes
RIVAL CAUSES AND YOUR OWN COMMUNICATIoN
Exploring Potential Causes
Narrowing Down Your List of Potential Causes
Practice Exercises
Sample Responses
Chapter 8: Are the Statistics Deceptive?
Unknowable and Biased Statistics
Confusing Averages
Concluding One Thing, Proving Another
Deceiving by Omitting Information
Risk Statistics and Omitted Information
USING STATISTICS IN YOUR WRITING
Practice Exercises
Sample Responses
Chapter 9: What Significant Information is Omitted?
The Benefits of Detecting Omitted Information
The Certainty of Incomplete Reasoning
Questions that Identify Omitted Information
The Importance of the Negative View
Omitted Information That Reminas Missing
MISSING INFORMATION IN YOUR OWN ARGUMENTS
USING THIS CRITICAL QUESTION
Practice Exercises
Sample Responses
Chapter 10: What Reasonable Conclusions Are Possible?
Assumptions and Multiple Conclusions
Dichotomous Thinking: Impediment to Considering Multiple Conclusions
Two Sides or Many?
Searching for Multiple Conclusions
Productivity of If-Clauses
Alternative Solutions as Conclusions
The Liberating Effect of Recognizing Alternative Conclusions
All Conclusions Are Not Created Equal
Summary
Practice Exercises
Sample Respones
Final Word