Argument critical thinking

In this video, the highlight is on rhetoric, which is all about the art of persuasion. While it is closely linked to logic and reason, it uses appeal to emotion and focuses on "getting an audience to agree with and act on what we have persuaded them to consider" (Pearson Learning Solutions, 2014).

There are 3 goals for rhetoric:

· To teach

· To move

· To delight (Pearson Learning Solutions, 2014).

We see and hear rhetoric used around us on a daily basis in politics, advertising, etc., to persuade us to believe various ideas.

Class, provide an example of rhetoric that you have run across in the last week. Why is it so important for critical thinkers to be able to recognize rhetoric?

Reference:

Pearson Learning Solutions. (2014). Analyzing and constructing arguments. Retrieved from https://media.pearsoncmg.com/pls/us/phoenix/1323066411/chapter_8.html

In the video "Evidence in Argument: Critical Thinking," we are told, "When facts are given to us, we need to look at how those facts are presented....what has the author done with them" (Evidence in Argument, 2009).

Facts can be used to show something that may or may not be true, so it is up to us, as critical thinkers, to determine if there is evidence for the conclusions that are being proposed. This video shares some questions we need to consider:

• How has the author used the evidence?

• What else do we need to know? (What else should the author have told us?)

• Are there other ways of interpreting the evidence?

• What conclusions have been put forward and is there evidence for the conclusions? (Evidence in Argument, 2009)

We have all heard the phrase "Research shows" followed by a lot of numbers and data used to support some claim. For example, research shows that 4 out of 5 dentists recommend X brand of toothpaste.

Think about the questions above. Which one do you think is most important in considering evidence in arguments and why?