Becoming a Critical Thinker: A User Friendly Manual

This book trains students to distinguish high-quality, well-supported arguments from arguments with little or no evidence to support them.

It develops the skills required to effectively evaluate the many claims facing them as citizens, learners, consumers, and human beings, and also to be effective advocates for their beliefs. Chapter topics include the foundations of arguments, reality and value assumptions and ethics, inductive arguments and generalisations, reasoning errors, the power of language, media literacy, fair-mindedness, and persuasive speaking. For critical thinkers who want to be discerning about the messages they read or hear; make decisions based on careful consideration of both facts and values; be alert to distortion in reporting and advertising; and, defend their own viewpoints.