week 4- The need for precision language

Week 4

The need for precision language

Today’s lesson, we start with “good argument” concept. What makes a good argument? We should persuade to agree with the conclusion. In other side, not a good argument is we reject the conclusion. A good argument is where the conclusion and premises are clear enough that makes us understand the ideas that the arguer is trying to send us. The conclusion and premises are not vague.

When I heard the word “vague”, I blurred. Then I come to my track after the explanation by our lecturer. A sentence might be vague if it is unclear on what ideas the arguer tried to convey. In order to make a good argument, the sentences must not vague, the receiver of the message must clear enough on our ideas, tell others what “standards” are being used. I heard people say “Arsenal is the best football team in the world”. Now, I should know in what way it is best? How they are the best? Here, there is an uncertainty about what standards are being used as a basis of comparison.

Vagueness can also happen when a specific content in a statement is not presented. For example, abandonment is immoral. As a critical thinker, I should ask in what aspect it is immoral? This was happen when there is confusion over context. Vagueness can happen when speaker choose imprecise choice of words which he is not careful to ensure that the words he or she is using will be understood by the listener. Moreover, regional or cultural causes vagueness. As Malaysians, we usually use “ahh”. For example, what is your name ahh? In this case, foreigners might be confused what we try to tell. Here receivers of our message will confuse on what we try to convey. So, we have to compose a clear sentence to avoid undesirable outcomes.

The next thing we were going through is over-generality. In over-generality, the meaning of the words is very clear and understandable but the statement refers to an idea that is insufficiently specific which allows us to determine the important ideas.                      

Next, ambiguous sentence is a series of statement that is worded in such a way as to make reader lose track of “which one” you are talking about. Besides that, we get to know two new words today which are euphemisms and dysphemism. Euphemisms means we choose a word that makes some concept sounds “better” than it is. We usually use it to refer ourselves. While, dysphemism means we choose a word that makes it sound worst. People usually use it to refer other people.

 Furthermore, we tried to differentiating fact and opinion as it is the first step to evaluate whether we need to believe premises of an argument or not and the supporting statement are based on ‘fact’ or ‘opinion’. A fact is a specific detail that can be proven as true based on objective evidence. An opinion is a feeling, judgement, belief or conclusion that cannot be proven true by objective evidence.

In presenting an argument, logical order is very important which means an argument should lead to a clear direction. Inconsistencies make an argument hard to follow, leaving the audience uncertain about what the author is trying to persuade them to believe.

The lessons I gained through this week is very useful because before this I put 3 for question; I can spot inconsistencies in an argument easily. Now, I can score full for this question after this week’s lesson. Then, I score 3 for question; I understand why ambiguous language is often used in research paper. So, here I need to understand more about the why the language is used in research paper. Lastly, I score 3 for question; I am good at identifying patterns. Here, I plan to put more effort in identifying patterns more accurately. These are what I learnt this week.     

   

week 3 - Roles of Supporting Statement

Week 3

Roles of Supporting Statement

This week I had study about what is an argument. Before I attend this week’s class, I   knew that argument is happen when there are two different opinions or statements by two different people. Lastly a person’s opinion which is supported well by premises and conclusion, it is the best statement and will accept by people. This week we were discover more about roles of supporting statements in an argument.

After I attend this week’s class I learn a lot of important things about argument. Argument is a series of statement used to persuade someone of something. The importance of study the component of an argument is to identify, analyse and evaluate to take a better decision and to avoid being misled. Argument contains three components which are supporting statements, premises and conclusion. Supporting statement is a statement which helps people to understand and believe the statement by definition, supporting arguments, assumptions, evidence, reference to authority and anecdote. Premises are also statements which support and convince us with the conclusion. In an argument, there must be at least two premises to support the conclusion.  As I know, supporting statements play an important role in supporting premises. Conclusion must be supported by the premises. 

Here I would like to share my personal experience. I had a roommate who she always argue with me when I tell my personal opinion when we discuss about a thing. For example, one day my friend called me to my hand phone and tells a problem she faces through face book. So I login to her profile and saw the inbox messages she had. Lastly, I get to know that, the improper messages are send by her boyfriend’s true girlfriend. So, I advised my friend to deactivate her account. She became very sad as she told me that, she believe her boyfriend a lot and lastly learn a good lesson from that.

After I settle down the problem, I share this problem with another roommate. We were talking about face book problem might be faced by teens including the virtual love. So, as we talk, we noticed my argue roommate face was changed. So we stop our conversation. Then she was coming up with another argument. For your information, she had a boyfriend in foreign country and they love through face book. She fights with me that, “how can you tell that our love is not true? What you know about us? Better mind your own business”. I replied to her that, I just tell my opinion in general and not point to her. Then she argued with me that, what evidence you had to tell that virtual love is not true? I tell her the problem faced by my friend because of virtual love as evidence which is one of the supporting statements and also I told her that not all virtual love is faces this problem. Then she apologised on her misunderstanding towards me.

Through this case, I noticed that, it’s not useful to argue without open minded. We must receive other’s opinion with open-minded before we argue. This is one of the critical thinking standard which is precision.

The lesson I gained from this week is very useful to me because, before this I rate 3 for question; I know how to structure an argument. Through this I plan to practice more to easily structure an argument. I give 3 rating for; I find it easy to evaluate the evidence to support a point of view. Evidence is important in argument because it proves an argument as true. So, I intend to practice more in evaluate evidence to support a point.  Thank you for critical thinking to make me better. Besides that, I score full for question; I am good at identifying unfair techniques used to persuade readers. Here, I am good enough in identify unfair techniques. Lastly, the rating 2 for question; I am very patient in going over the facts in order to reach an accurate view. I plan to be patient in going through the facts to reach an accurate path. Thank you for critical reflection to keep me change to a better critical thinker.

week 2 - The basic structure of argument

Week 2

The basic structure of argument

Before we move to today’s chapter, we recap again the quality of a good critical thinker. A good critical thinker needs to have the cognitive ability and intellectual disposition which able to analyse, identify and evaluate arguments and truth claims. An argument contains of supporting statements, premises, conclusion and premises or prepositions.

This week I discover more in detail about argument. First of all, proposition is a statement believed to be true and presented as argument for consideration by the target audience. A sentence is only qualified if the sentence make a declaration and as audience I must capable of determining whether the statement is true or false. But, not all the sentences are statements as there are lot kind of sentences such as command, question, proposal, greeting, request, instruction and exclamation. Here our lecturer push one thing to our head which is sometimes argument may contain many noises such as exclamations, command and threats. After I heard it, I am very confusing. Then I learnt that as a critical thinker I should able to spot noises and concentrate on the argument mainly the premises and conclusion.

In my view, argument is only a statement to argue and end up with fight. Since, in critical thinking there are different definitions for argument. An argument is a claim supported by one or more premises and support conclusion. I learnt several skills to identify an argument from today’s lesson which are the point of producing this sentence, the main message I supposed to take from the sentence, the author try to make a case or not and the reasons offered to support their position. On the other hand, I had learnt about non- arguments which are descriptions, explanations and summaries, command and much more.

Another type of statement is premise/proposition. Premises are statements that support the conclusion. A simple argument contains two premises and a conclusion. There are many words and phrases that are usually combined with a premise which are indicated by, as shown by, because, and much more. The ‘mix’ of messages that we receive from other person is known as the ‘raw material’ contains arguments and extraneous material. Reconstruction is a series of techniques where we look for “indicator words”. Besides that, another type of argument is implicit argument. It means when a person making an argument, he or she will assume that the audience can figure out the argument without include premises and conclusion.

As I remember question cannot be a statement because they can neither be right or wrong. We can divide questions into two types which are interrogative questions and rhetorical questions. Interrogative questions are questions that intended to solicit some information from audience while rhetorical questions are intended to solicit audience’ agreement or to motivate them to take some action. Rhetorical questions are act as premises and conclusion. To trigger my head, there is another type of question called leading questions which guide someone being questioned in making his/her response.

 This week I discover about basic argument. I rating 1 for question; I know the different meanings of the word argument in critical thinking. After I learned this lesson, I can know the different meaning of critical thinking. I rate 2 for question; I can analyse the structure of an argument. Here, I don’t know that this question is content in critical thinking. So, I plan to do more practice to make me easy in analyse the structure of argument. Moreover, I rate 3 for the question; I usually pay attention to small details. In identify an argument, I must consider to some important points. From the rating I can know that my attention is not enough in identify small details. So, I plan to pay more attention although it is small detail. Lastly, I rate 3 also for; I can remain focused on the exact requirements of an activity. Here, I plan to understand clearly the exact requirements of activity to be success. So, this is what I learn from today’s learning.         

   

week 1 - Introduction to critical thinking

Week 1

Introduction to critical thinking

This is the first week I am entering the lecture hall for critical thinking subject. Previously during I am in foundation, I had took critical thinking subject. So, I can say that I had little basis about critical thinking.

This week I learn about what is meant by critical thinking. Before we start, our lecturer explains about what is meant by thinking. Thinking is a purposeful, organized cognitive process that we use to make sense of our world. As I understand, critical thinking means the learning to think critically by using mental process such as attention, categorisation, selection and judgement. It is also cognitive activity- associated with using the mind. The critical thinking skills are analysing, reasoning, evaluating, problem solving and decision making. As I know, there are eight types of critical thinking standards which are clarity, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth, logic and fairness.

Clarity means before evaluate effectively a person’s argument; I need to understand what he or she is saying. Accuracy is which the accurate information will guarantee that I will make correct decisions and conclusion. Third, precise thinking can eliminate confusions and uncertainties. Moreover, relevance means the need to stay focused on relevant ideas and information and to be deceived by irrelevant issues.

Depth is a statement that is deep in information which allows us to address the complexities in the statement. Breadth means a statement is breadth in the information as well it is clear, precise, relevant, accurate and deep. The seventh standard is logic.  When the combinations of thoughts are mutually supporting and make sense in combination, the thinking is “logical”. Last critical thinking standard is fairness. Critical thinking demands that our thinking should be fair that is open – minded, impartial, free of distorting biases and preconceptions.

There are lot of benefits if we study critical thinking. We can have the following criteria such as improved attention and observation, more focused reading, and improved ability to identify the key points in a message, improved ability to respond to the appropriate points in a message, knowledge how to get my own point across more easily and the skills of analysis that I choose in a variety of situations.

I would like to relate critical thinking to my life. For me, the emotions that are most difficult to manage when others disagree with me are anger, misunderstanding each other, tension and irritable. After I study the eight critical standards, I can deal with my emotions by thinking precisely. I will listen to what the others are saying before start argues with them. I will be open minded in order to receive other’s statement.

The insights I gained from this week is very useful to me because it helps me to improve my personal qualities as a critical thinker. Here, I noticed that I give 0 rating for the question; I can offer criticism without feeling this makes me a bad person. Now, I am open-minded and willing to welcome criticism from other people. Moreover I give 2 rating for the question I feel comfortable pointing out potential weaknesses in the work of experts. Now, I am aware that pointing out weaknesses are important in my life. Although a work done by an expert, there probably have a mistake because human are not perfect. So, I think it is important to pointing out such weaknesses but at the same time I will aware of my own biases and preconceptions.

Then, I put 1 rating for question I can present my own arguments clearly. I don’t know before this question can reflect my critical thinking learning.  So, now I have independent opinion to be present clearly and not afraid to disagree by others because different people have different opinions. Lastly, I give 0 rating for question I find it easy to weigh up different points of view fairly. From this week’s lesson, I will fair, impartial and open minded in evaluate different points of view because as I mention before different people have different point of view. Thank you for critical thinking because reflect my true character and change me for better stage.   

what is critical thinking?

What is Critical Thinking??

Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness.