Critical Thinking: Consider the Verdict (4th Edition)

Organized around lively and authentic examples drawn from jury trials, contemporary political and social debate, advertising, etc., this introduction to critical thinking shows readers not only how to detect fallacies, but also how to examine, appreciate, and construct cogent arguments as well. Accessible and reader friendly--yet thorough and rigorous--it shows them how to integrate all their logic skills into the critical decision-making process they undertake in their own lives as citizens and consumers. What's the Question? Relevant and Irrelevant Reasons. The Burden of Proof. Analyzing Arguments. Necessary and Sufficient Conditions. Symbolic Sentential Logic. Arguments About Classes. Ad Hominem Arguments. Appeal to Authority. The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth. Strawman, Slippery Slope, Dilemma, and Golden Mean Arguments: Their Use and Abuse. Begging the Question. Arguments by Analogy. Questions of Cause. Thinking Critically about Statistics. Consider Your Verdict: Comprehensive Critical Thinking in the Jury Room. For anyone interested in developing skills in critical thinking, informal and general logic, and critical writing or argumentation.