Ideological Reasoning

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© 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS

Chapter 13

Ideological Reasoning

© 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS

Learning Outcomes

• Explain ideological reasoning and its implications for beliefs and actions
• Apply correctly the criteria for the evaluation of ideological reasoning
• Describe the uses, benefits, and risks of ideological reasoning

Learning Outcomes

• The chapter first explains ideological reasoning and its implications for beliefs and actions.
• It further helps correctly apply the criteria for the evaluation of ideological reasoning.
• Finally it describes the uses, benefits, and risks of ideological reasoning.

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© 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS

Chapter Opening Video

Chapter Opening Video

• The video explains the concept of ideological reasoning.
• It helps us understand ideological reasoning and how it is based on our principles and core beliefs.

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© 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS

Recognizing Ideological Reasoning

• Examples of ideological reasoning
• Features of ideological reasoning

Recognizing Ideological Reasoning

• Ideological reasoning: Process of thinking that begins with abstractions or generalizations that express one’s core beliefs, concepts, values, or principles.
• Proceeds to reason top down to specific applications.
• Referred to as top-down thinking.
• Examples of ideological reasoning.
• Immigration policy
• Human nature
• Features of ideological reasoning.
• Deductive in character.
• Ideological premises are axiomatic.
• Argument maker takes the ideological absolutes on faith.

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© 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS

Examples of Ideological Reasoning

• Immigration policy
• Person illegally entering the country is breaking the law and is a criminal
• I support the amendment that requires incarceration and deportation of all illegal immigrants
• Government policies and laws that destroy the family unit are bad
• I oppose the amendment which would separate a family apart by deporting a parent or child

Examples of Ideological Reasoning

• Immigration policy
• Person illegally entering the country is breaking the law and is a criminal.
• I support the amendment that requires incarceration and deportation of all illegal immigrants.
• Government policies and laws that destroy the family unit are bad.
• I oppose the amendment which would separate a family apart by deporting a parent or child.
• Enforcing the laws and protecting families are core commitments.

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© 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS

Examples of Ideological Reasoning

• Human nature
• People are fundamentally good and it is wrong to take away people’s freedom
• I support individuals who maximize individual liberties
• People are fundamentally bad
• Additional individual liberty will lead to greater societal disintegration

Examples of Ideological Reasoning

• Human nature
• People are fundamentally good and it is wrong to take away people’s freedom.
• I support individuals who maximize individual liberties.
• People are fundamentally bad.
• Additional individual liberty will lead to greater societal disintegration.
• Arguments begin with a core belief about human nature.
• Issue cannot be resolved shortly.
• Ideological reasoning has consequences for policies and practices that affect people’s lives.

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© 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS

Ideological Reasoning

Ideological Reasoning

• Describes the top-down thinking approach of ideological reasoning from abstract ideas and beliefs to deductive inferences to specific applications.

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© 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS

Features of Ideological Reasoning

• Deductive in character
• Conclusions of arguments are presented as certainties
• Ideologues seek facts that support their points of view
• Arguments move from general ideas to specific applications

Features of Ideological Reasoning

• Deductive in character
• Conclusions of arguments are presented as certainties.
• Ideologues seek facts that support their points of view.
• Not all deductive reasoning is ideological.
• Describing ideological reasoning as deductive focuses on the certainty with which ideological thinkers endow their conclusions.
• Arguments move from general ideas to specific applications.

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© 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS

Features of Ideological Reasoning

• Ideological premises are axiomatic
• Assumptions are community’s or individual’s beliefs and core values
• Ideas or beliefs used to initiate arguments represent:
• Axioms that contribute other ideas

Features of Ideological Reasoning

• Ideological premises are axiomatic.
• Assumptions are community’s or individual’s beliefs and core values.
• Ideas or beliefs used to initiate arguments represent axioms that contribute other ideas.
• Axioms - Set of first principles, starting points, or assumptions.

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© 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS

Features of Ideological Reasoning

• Argument maker takes the ideological absolutes on faith
• Ideological thinkers:
• Try to bend science to fit preconceptions
• Regard absolutes as immune from disconfirmation

Features of Ideological Reasoning

• Argument maker takes the ideological absolutes on faith.
• Ideological thinkers:
• Try to bend science to fit preconceptions.
• Do not require scientific confirmation of first principles.
• Regard absolutes as immune from disconfirmation.
• Reasoning begins with the conviction that axiomatic first principles express good ideals, worthy purposes, and true beliefs.

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© 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS

Evaluating Ideological Reasoning

• Are the ideological premises true?
• Logical strength and ideological belief systems
• Relevancy, non-circularity, and ideological reasoning

Evaluating Ideological Reasoning

• Evaluation of ideological reasoning requires asking four questions.
• Are all the premises true?
• Is the argument logically strong?
• Are the reasons relevant to the claim being made?
• Is the argument non-circular?
• Are the ideological premises true?
• Test requires to integrate and apply the interpretation, analysis, inference, and evaluation skills.
• Logical strength and ideological belief systems.
• Ideological arguments exhibit reasonable levels of logical strength.
• Relevancy, non-circularity, and ideological reasoning.
• Test of Relevancy and non-circularity yields positive results and produces consternation respectively.

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© 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS

Applying the Test of Truthfulness of the Premises

Applying the Test of Truthfulness of the Premises

• Test requires applying one or more possibilities based on the beliefs or argument maker and evaluating the credibility of the premises.

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© 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS

Are the Ideological Premises True?

• Test involves considering all premises
• Possibilities in applying the Test of the Truthfulness of the Premises
• Speaker does not back a given premise
• Argument maker is the source of the premise
• Cite a source trusted by the speaker
• Argument maker’s reason for the truthfulness of premise

Are the Ideological Premises True?

• Test involves considering all premises.
• Requires to integrate and apply the interpretation, analysis, inference, and evaluation skills.
• Possibilities in applying the Test of the Truthfulness of the Premises.
• Speaker does not back a given premise.
• Argument maker is the source of the premise.
• Cite a source trusted by the speaker.
• Argument maker’s reason for the truthfulness of premise.

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© 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS

Logical Strength and Ideological Belief Systems

• Ideological arguments are product of deductive reasoning
• Exhibit reasonable levels of logical strength
• Ideological belief structures contain internal contradictions
• Resolved by debate and examination of documents

Logical Strength and Ideological Belief Systems

• Ideological arguments are product of deductive reasoning.
• Exhibit reasonable levels of logical strength.
• Ideological belief structures contain internal contradictions.
• Resolved by debate and examination of documents.
• Critical thinking requires to revise or abandon one or more of the beliefs to resolve contradictions.

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© 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS

Relevancy, Non-circularity, and Ideological Reasoning

• Test of Relevancy yields unambiguously positive results
• Non-circularity produces consternation

Relevancy, Non-circularity, and Ideological Reasoning

• Test of Relevancy yields unambiguously positive results.
• Proponents of large-scale ideological systems declare ideologies to be relevant to everything.
• Non-circularity produces consternation.
• Ideological arguments normally pass non-circularity test.

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© 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS

Benefits of Ideological Reasoning

• Ideologies define and shape communities
• Provide individuals a strong sense of identity
• Ideological convictions enable to escape the suffocating malaise of relativism
• Ideological reasoning offers an efficient way of addressing novel questions

Benefits of Ideological Reasoning

• Ideologies define and shape communities.
• Provide individuals a strong sense of identity.
• Ideological convictions enable to escape the suffocating malaise of relativism.
• Core values of an ideological belief system guide our thinking about:
• Right and wrong.
• Good and bad.
• Obligatory and optional.
• Ideological reasoning offers an efficient way of addressing novel questions.

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© 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS

Discussion Questions

• Kate Kelly faced excommunication for publically advocating gender equality within the practice of Mormonism
• A spokeswoman for the Church said no person can “dictate to God what is right for his Church”
• Can a person change their core religious, national or political identity?
• Can they become someone other than who they were born and raised to be?

Discussion Question

• Kate Kelly faced excommunication for publically advocating gender equality within the practice of Mormonism.
• Excommunication - Right to expel members who publically advocate positions which the religion officially opposes.
• A spokeswoman for the Church said no person can “dictate to God what is right for his Church.”
• Kate Kelly said that her Mormon faith was part of her identity, that it was not something that excommunication could wash off.
• Can a person change their core religious, national or political identity?
• Can they become someone other than who they were born and raised to be?

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© 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS

Risks of Ideological Reasoning

• Ideological reasoning is powerfully persuasive
• Ideological belief structures are socially normative
• Ideological reasoning constrains and empowers

Risks of Ideological Reasoning

• Ideological reasoning is powerfully persuasive.
• Ideological convictions are difficult to consider as mistakes.
• Ideological belief structures are socially normative.
• Lack of scientific way to investigate the certain beliefs and claims.
• Ideological reasoning constrains and empowers.
• Axiomatic core convictions have life-shaping consequences.

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© 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS

Sketchnote Video

Sketchnote Video

• The video summarizes the concept of ideological thinking or the top-down approach of reasoning.

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