A Complete Summary of An Introduction to Critical Thinking and Creativity (BBBS355)

 A Complete Summary of An Introduction to Critical Thinking and Creativity 

Semester V

Paper V

Subject Code: BBBS355

1. Introduction
2. Thinking and Writing Clearly
   
3. Definitions
4. Necessary & Sufficient Conditions
   
5. Linguistic Pitfalls
   
6. Truth
   
7. Basic Logic
   
8. Identifying Arguments
   
9. Valid and Sound Arguments
   
10. Inductive Reasoning
    
11. Argument Mapping
    
12. Argument Analysis
    
13. Scientific Reasoning
    
14. Mill’s Method
    
15. Reasoning About Causation
    
16. Diagrams of Casual Process
    
17. Statistics and Probability
    
18. Thinking about Values
    
19. Fallacies
    
20. Cognitive Biases
    
21. Analogical Reasoning
    
22. Making Rational Decisions
    
23. What is Creativity?
    
24. Creative Thinking Habits
    

Bibliography

Lau, J. Y. (2011). An Introduction to Critical Thinking and Creativity: Think More, Think Better. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

 

 QUESTIONS TO PRACTICE

PART 1: Subjective Questions

1.      How can we improve critical thinking skills?

2.      Do you agree with these remarks? Explain your answers. 

a)      Critical thinking is too negative because we are always trying to find fault 
but this is not a very healthy attitude.

b)     Critical thinking is not very useful because personal connections and relationships are more important for success.

c)      We often have to make decisions very quickly without a lot of time to 
think. So critical thinking is not really that useful.

3.      For each pair of sentences below, explain whether they differ in literal meaning.

a)      Do not be evil. Be good.

b)     I like lobsters. I like eating lobsters.

c)      We do not add preservatives to our food. Our food contains no preservatives.

d)     Do not say anything if the police are here. Do not say anything in case the police are here.

e)      You may kiss the bride. You must kiss the bride. 

f)      Everyone is not sick. Not everyone is sick. 

g)     Nothing that is good is cheap. Nothing that is cheap is good.

h)     There are many restaurants and the best one is The French Laundry. There is no restaurant better than The French Laundry. 

4.      Imagine that the following paragraph is taken from a reference letter for a student named Prabodh. Read each sentence carefully, and explain why the paragraph does not literally say anything positive about Prabodh. 

Prabodh’s abilities must be seen to be believed. The amount of material he knows will surprise you. It would be very hard to find someone as capable as he is. He has left a deep impression on all the teachers in the department. You would be fortunate if he works for you. 

5.      Rewrite these sentences to make them simpler.

a)      When the teacher gave the explanation to the class, the explanation was delivered in such a way that it was rather lengthy and could not be easily understood by the students.

b)     The current situation in this place, which is already tense, turned explosive earlier this month when the international administration, which was put in place after the 1995 peace accord that put an end to the war in Bosnia, gave the order to execute a raid on Herzegovacka Bank. 

c)      In the basement, there are four baskets made of bamboo that have got absolutely nothing in them whatever and that might perhaps be given away by us to charitable organisations and societies. 

d)     Anai's used money to purchase a large-type minivan produced by Toyota that is red in colour.

e)      Apple has designed a laptop that is quite special—the case of the laptop is made from the material aluminium and is not composed of any smaller parts. 

6.      Explain three misconceptions about definitions. 

7.      Classify these definitions as reportive, precising, stipulative or persuasive:

a)      Above-average intelligence means "having an IQ of more than 100.”

b)     A camera is an instrument for taking photos.

c)      Animal rights activists are people who love animals more than human beings.

d)     An atheist is a person who does not believe in the existence of God.

e)      X is harder than Y = X can make a scratch on Y but not the other way round. 

8.      What are the different kinds of possibilities? Elaborate your answer with examples.  

9.      Are these statements true or false?

a)      If X is logically sufficient for Y, and Y is logically sufficient for Z, then X is logically sufficient for Z. 
Answer: 

b)     If X is logically necessary for Y, and Y is logically necessary for Z, then X is logically necessary for Z. 
Answer:

c)      If X is not necessary for Y, then Y is not necessary for X. 
Answer:

d)     Being an intelligent student in the class is necessary for being the most intelligent student in the class. 
Answer:

e)      If something is not logically impossible, then it is logically possible.
Answer:

f)      If something is empirically impossible, then it does not actually happen 
in the world.
Answer:

g)     If something is empirically possible, then it actually happens in the world.
Answer:

h)     If something actually happens in the world, then it is empirically possible.
Answer:

i)       If something is logically possible, then it is empirically possible.
Answer:

j)       If something is empirically possible, then it is logically possible.
Answer:

10.   Fill in the blanks below correctly with necessary condition or sufficient condition: 

a)      If the definition is too wide, this means the definition fails to provide the correct … for X.

b)     If f the definition is too narrow, this means the definition fails to provide the correct … for X.

11.   Describe the mistake in this argument in terms of necessary and sufficient conditions: 

Students who do not study always fail the exam. Since I have studied, it follows that I will pass the exam. 

12.   Define the following terms:

a)      Weasel Words

b)     Category Mistake

c)      Incomplete Meaning

d)     Empty Meaning

13.   The statement below contains ambiguity. List out possible interpretations. 

a)      Park the car next to the tree in front of the house.

b)     For sale: 10 puppies from an Australian terrier and a Boston terrier. 

c)      Lack of Brains Hinders Medical Research (newspaper headline).

d)     Students who play video games often have poor grades. 

e)      Bring your birth certificate or your passport and your identity card. 

14.   Discuss the linguistic pitfalls in these passages:

a)      Law graduates of the university have a higher income.

b)      Rita got the flu from a kid who was ill four days ago. 

c)      Our cookies are tastier with 20% more butter. 

d)     This is the saddest day of my life since I got married. 

e)      A harmful truth is better than a useful lie. (Thomas Mann) 

15.   Classify these statements as analytic, empirical or value statements. 

a)      Violence causes more violence.

b)     Many people believe that greed is good. 

c)      If Peter was killed yesterday, then Peter is now dead. 

d)     Helping people makes us happier. 

e)      Critical thinking is something people ought to pursue. 

16.   Rewrite the arguments of the following passage in the standard format: 

a)      Seriously, don't you think you should be staying at home? Didn't you hear that a thunderstorm is coming? 

b)     Since all Maoists are communists and all communists are Marxists, Maoists are Marxists.

c)      Listen up. You should not drive. You can barely keep your eyes open. 

d)     He didn't call. If he wants to go out with me he would have called. Obviously, he is not interested in me. 

e)      You should not jaywalk. It is true that many people do it. But you might get hit by a car. Or the police might fine you. 

17.   Specify if the following arguments are valid or not valid. 

a)      All cocos are bobos. All lulus are bobos. So all cocos are lulus.

b)     Very few insects are purple. Very few purple things are edible. So very few insects are edible.

c)      Every F is G. Every G is not H. Therefore, no H is F. 

d)     Most cooks are men. Most men are insensitive people. So most cooks 
are insensitive people. 

e)      Very few plants are green. Very few green things are edible. So very few 
plants are edible. 

18.   Simplify and rewrite these arguments in the standard format and fill in any missing premises. 

a)      Gold is a metal. Therefore it conducts electricity.

b)     God does not exist. So life is meaningless.

c)      Noam is a thinker. So he is not a doer.

d)     The whole building collapsed. So probably many people died.

e)      I certainly had fruit today. Ketchup is made of tomatoes, and nobody can deny that tomatoes are fruits.

19.   What is a DEAR method? Elaborate.

20.   What is Mill’s Method? Define the method of difference and the joint method. 

21.   For each of these correlations, think of at least two alternative causal explanations. 

a)      Children who eat breakfast perform better at school.

b)     There is a moderate correlation between milk drinking and cancer rate across societies.

c)      Students who smoke are more likely to have lower grades at school. 

d)     Students who use Facebook more often have lower grades. 

e)      People who smile sincerely more often tend to live longer. 

22.   Define the following terms:

a)      Casual Networks

b)     Fishbone Diagrams

c)      Flowcharts

23.   Consider five steps for a pedestrian to cross the road safely, in random order: "look left and right," "stop at the curb," "walk across quickly," "wait a few seconds," "check if the road is clear" Draw a flowchart for the whole process using only these steps. 

24.   What is the difference between absolute and relative quantity? Elaborate your answer with examples.

25.   Discuss misleading statistical diagrams with supportive examples. 

26.   Define moral absolutism, relativism and contextualism. Elaborate your answer with examples.

27.   What things should we avoid in the moral discussion? Explain.

28.   What are the four types of moral arguments? Explain any two of them.

29.   The following passages contain fallacies. Explain the mistake.

a)      I could not find my cup after Hari left the room. He must have stolen it. 

b)      The Loch Ness monster obviously exists. Scientists have not been able to show that it does not exist.

c)      This soup has to be tasty because all its ingredients are tasty.

d)     Statistics show that more car accidents happen during the day than at night. So it is safer to drive at night.

e)      All my Facebook friends are also your Facebook friends. Many of your Facebook friends are idiots. Therefore, many of my Facebook friends are idiots. 

Part 2: Objective Questions

1.        Critical thinking is thinking clearly and ...
(a) rationally (b) stylistically (c) critically 
Answer:

2.        Some people think critical thinking means … others all the time, which is not constructive.
(a) evaluating (b) criticising (c) constructing
Answer:

3.        When the meaning of a claim is unclear, it might be impossible to say whether it is ...
(a) true (b) false (c) true or false
Answer: 

4.        The literal meaning of bachelor in English is ...
(a) an unmarried man (b) a degree provided by a university (c) afresh
Answer:

5.        Definitions are useful in removing … and making meaning more precise.
(a) meaning (b) ambiguity (c) conciseness
Answer:

6.        The … is a claim that summarises the most important point you want to make.
(a) introduction (b) conclusion (c) thesis statement
Answer:

7.        A reportive definition is also known as a … definition.
(a) stipulative (b precising (c) lexical
Answer:

8.        An … expression is one with more than one meaning or reference.  
(a) exhaustive (b) exclusive (c) ambiguous 
Answer:

9.        … is a case in which words are used without serving any useful purpose or providing little information.  
(a) category mistake (b) empty meaning (c) relativism
Answer:

10.     A set of statements is consistent when and only when it is logically possible for all of them to be … in the same situation.
(a) true (b) false (c) contrary
Answer:

11.     Inconsistent statements are also known as … 
(a) logical strength (b) entailment (c) contraries
Answer:

12.     An argument that is not sound is …
(a) noise (b) unsound (c) sound
Answer:

13.     Which of the following is not the part of DEAR method:
(a) collect the evidence (b) Equally differentiate the theory (c) list all the alternatives
Answer:

14.     An event C is said to be … with E when the presence of C increases the probability that E will also occur. 
(a) positively correlated (b) negatively correlated (c) independently correlated
Answer:

15.     … was made popular by Japanese Professor Kaoru Ishikawa.
(a) Casual networks (b) Flowcharts (c) Fishbone diagrams
Answer:

16.      A … is a diagram using connected shapes to represent the steps of a complex process, some of which might involve actions and decisions. 
(a) Casual network (b) Flowchart (c) Fishbone diagram
Answer:

17.     … refers to the actual number of items of a certain kind.  
(a) Absolute quantity (b) Relative quantity (c) Margin or error
Answer:

18.     The … is the mistaken belief that the probability of an event might increase or decrease depending on the pattern of its recent occurrences, even though these events are independent of each other. 
(a) Regression Fallacy (b) Naturalistic Fallacy (c) Gambler’s Fallacy
Answer:

19.     … is a mistake of causal reasoning due to the failure to consider how things fluctuate randomly, typically around some average condition. 
(a) Regression Fallacy (b) Naturalistic Fallacy (c) Gambler’s Fallacy
Answer:

20.     … are central to the legal system and our modern understanding of morality. 
(a) Arguments (b) Rights (c) Fallacies
Answer:

LBU Internal Exam 2079 (Sample Questions)

Level: Bachelor

Programme: Bhot Buddhist Studies

Semester: 5/ Paper: V

Subject Code: BBBS355

 

Candidates are required to give their answers in their own words as far as possible.

The figures in the margin indicate full marks. 

 

GROUP A (2*10=20)

 

1.     Do you agree with these remarks? Explain your answers.              

a.     Critical thinking is too negative because we are always trying to find fault but this is not a very healthy attitude.

b.     Critical thinking is not very useful because personal connections and relationships are more important for success.

c.     We often have to make decisions very quickly without a lot of time to think. So critical thinking is not really that useful. 

2.     Rewrite these sentences to make them simpler.                         

a.     When the teacher gave the explanation to the class, the explanation was delivered in such a way that it was rather lengthy and could not be easily understood by the students.

b.     The current situation in this place, which is already tense, turned explosive earlier this month when the international administration, which was put in place after the 1995 peace accord that put an end to the war in Bosnia, gave the order to execute a raid on Herzegovacka Bank. 

c.     In the basement, there are four baskets made of bamboo that have got absolutely nothing in them whatever and that might perhaps be given away by us to charitable organizations and societies.

d.     Avi used the money to purchase a large-type minivan produced by Toyota that is red in colour. 

e.     Apple has designed a laptop that is quite special-the case of the laptop is made from the material aluminium and is not composed of any smaller parts. 

 

GROUP B (6*5=30)

 

3.     Classify these definitions as reportive, precising, stipulative or persuasive: 

a.     Above-average intelligence means "having an IQ of more than 100."

b.     A camera is an instrument for taking photos.

c.     Animal rights activists are people who love animals more than human beings.

d.     An atheist is a person who does not believe in the existence of God.

e.     X is harder than Y = X can make a scratch on Y but not the other way around.

4.     Describe the mistake in this argument in terms of necessary and sufficient conditions:
Students who do not study always fail the exam. Since I have studied, it follows that I will pass the exam.

5.     Simplify these sentences as far as possible. Avoid changing their meaning. 

a.     Talking to Ann has induced Peter to generate the idea of building a house. 

b.     Our educational system at the moment is predicated on the assumption that lectures are enjoyed by students. 

6.     Which of the following are statements? 

a.     Cats and dogs. 

b.     Yummy ramen noodles!

c.     Ramen is yummy.

d.     Ramen is popular not just in Japan.

e.     The unexamined life is not worth living.

7.     Rewrite these sentences into logically equivalent ones that start with "It is not the case that."

a.     Hang gliding is not dangerous. 

b.     I am unafraid.

c.     Belching is impolite. 

d.     You aren't Einstein. 

e.     This is not what I wanted. 

8.     What is the standard format for identifying premises and conclusions? Elaborate your answer with an example.  

OR

Specify if the following statements are true or false.

a.     If the premises of the argument are false, then the conclusion is also false.

b.     All sound arguments have true premises.

c.     If an argument has a false conclusion, it cannot be sound. 

d.     If the conclusion of a valid argument is true, the argument is sound. 

e.   If an argument is invalid, then whenever the premises are all false, the conclusion must also be false.