Critical Thinking In Everyday Life

1
Critical Thinking In Everyday Life
1-E

• General Guidelines
• 1. Read (or listen) carefully.
• 2. Look for hidden assumptions.
• 3. Identify the real issue.
• 4. Use visual aids.
• 5. Understand all the options.
• 6. Watch for fine print and missing information.
• 7. Are other conclusions possible?

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Critical Thinking In Everyday Life
1-E

• General Guidelines.
• 1. Read (or listen) carefully.
• 2. Look for hidden assumptions.
• 3. Identify the real issue.
• 4. Use visual aids.
• 5. Understand all the options.
• 6. Watch for fine print and missing information.
• 7. Are other conclusions possible?

3
Example 1

• Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado
  constitution to prohibit the state of Colorado
  and any of its political subdivisions from
  adopting or enforcing any law or policy which
  provides that homosexual, lesbian, or bisexual
  orientation, conduct or relationships constitutes
  or entitles a person to claim any minority or
  protected status, quota preferences, or
  discrimination?

4

• Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado
  constitution to prohibit the state of Colorado
  and any of its political subdivisions from
  adopting or enforcing any law or policy which
  provides that homosexual, lesbian, or bisexual
  orientation, conduct or relationships constitutes
  or entitles a person to claim any minority or
  protected status, quota preferences, or
  discrimination?

5

• Yes vote against gay rights
• No vote for gay rights

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Critical Thinking In Everyday Life
1-E

• General Guidelines.
• 1. Read (or listen) carefully.
• 2. Look for hidden assumptions.
• 3. Identify the real issue.
• 4. Use visual aids.
• 5. Understand all the options.
• 6. Watch for fine print and missing information.
• 7. Are other conclusions possible?

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Example 2

• We should build more prisons because
  incarcerating more criminals will reduce the
  crime rate.

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Hidden Assumptions

• If we build more prisons, more criminals can be
  put in them.
• If we put more criminals in prisons, then the
  crime rate will be reduced.
• Reducing the crime rate is a good thing.

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Critical Thinking In Everyday Life
1-E

• General Guidelines.
• 1. Read (or listen) carefully.
• 2. Look for hidden assumptions.
• 3. Identify the real issue.
• 4. Use visual aids.
• 5. Understand all the options.
• 6. Watch for fine print and missing information.
• 7. Are other conclusions possible?

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Example 3

• With last Saturdays sellout crowd at the
  Moonlight Amphitheater, it is clear that the
  parking problem has become hopeless. Concert
  goers parked along residential streets up to a
  mile away from the amphitheater, badly
  overcrowding sidewalks, blocking driveways, and
  disrupting traffic. In light of this parking
  problem, future rock concerts should be canceled.

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Critical Thinking In Everyday Life
1-E

• General Guidelines.
• 1. Read (or listen) carefully.
• 2. Look for hidden assumptions.
• 3. Identify the real issue.
• 4. Use visual aids.
• 5. Understand all the options.
• 6. Watch for fine print and missing information.
• 7. Are other conclusions possible?

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Example 4

• A single person who can be claimed as a dependent
  on another persons tax return and is either 65
  or older or blind must file a return if
• i) earned income was more than 5350 (6400 if 65
  or older and blind) or
• ii) unearned income was more than 1750 (2800 if
  65 or older and blind) or
• iii) gross income was more than the total of
  earned income (up to 4300) or 700, whichever is
  greater plus 1050 (2100 if 65 or over and blind)

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• Chase is 15, and claimed as a dependent on his
  parents tax return. He has an earned income of
  6500. Does this policy apply to Chase? Must he
  file a return?

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• Chase is 15, and claimed as a dependent on his
  parents tax return. He has an earned income of
  6500. Does this policy apply to Chase? Must he
  file a return?
• Over 65 ? (no)
• blind ? (no)
• So does not apply to Chase

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• Carmen is single, 24, blind, claimed as a
  dependent on her parents return. Her earned
  income is 6500, and her unearned income is 750.
  Must she file a return?

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• Carmen is single, 24, blind, claimed as a
  dependent on her parents return. Her earned
  income is 6500, and her unearned income is 750.
  Must she file a return?
• Over 65 ? (no) blind ? (yes)
• Her earned income is more than 5350 so she
  must file a return.

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• Serena is 68, single, blind, claimed as a
  dependent on her sons return. Her gross income
  is 2500, earned income is 550. Must she file a
  return?

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• Serena is 68, single, blind, claimed as a
  dependent on her sons return. Her gross income
  is 2500, earned income is 550. Must she file a
  return?
• Over 65 ? (yes) blind ? (yes)
• Gross income lt 7002100 2800,
• She does not need to file a return.

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Critical Thinking In Everyday Life
1-E

• General Guidelines.
• 1. Read (or listen) carefully.
• 2. Look for hidden assumptions.
• 3. Identify the real issue.
• 4. Use visual aids.
• 5. Understand all the options.
• 6. Watch for fine print and missing information.
• 7. Are other conclusions possible?

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Example 5

• You are planning a trip six months in advance and
  discover you have two ticket options
• A fare of 1100, but 25 is nonrefundable if you
  change or cancel the ticket.
• A fully refundable ticket is available for 1900.

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• Ticket A
• GO 1100
• Cancel 275

• Ticket B
• GO 1900
• Cancel 0

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Critical Thinking In Everyday Life
1-E

• General Guidelines.
• 1. Read (or listen) carefully.
• 2. Look for hidden assumptions.
• 3. Identify the real issue.
• 4. Use visual aids.
• 5. Understand all the options.
• 6. Watch for fine print and missing information.
• 7. Are other conclusions possible?

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Example 6

• Ive enclosed 1.50 (thats 1 for 12 CDs plus
  1.49 for enrollment charge). I agree to buy 6
  CDs at regular Club prices within the next two
  years.
• A shipping/handling charge is added to each
  shipment. Applicable sales tax added to each
  order.

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Critical Thinking In Everyday Life
1-E

• General Guidelines.
• 1. Read (or listen) carefully.
• 2. Look for hidden assumptions.
• 3. Identify the real issue.
• 4. Use visual aids.
• 5. Understand all the options.
• 6. Watch for fine print and missing information.
• 7. Are other conclusions possible?

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• The development of nuclear weapons changed the
  way world leaders think about potential
  conflicts. A single nuclear weapon can kill
  millions of people, and the arsenals of the
  United States and the Soviet Union contained
  enough power to kill everyone on Earth many times
  over. This potential for catastrophic damage led
  to the idea of nuclear deterrence, which held
  that the United States and the Soviet Union would
  be deterred from direct warfare by the fear of
  nuclear war. For the more than 45 years of the
  Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union
  never did fight directly. This was one of the
  longest periods in human history during which two
  major enemies avoided direct war. We can only
  conclude that nuclear deterrence prevented war
  between the United States and the Soviet Union.

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Practice

• Although the plane crashed in Nevada, the
  survivors were buried in California.
• Sue prefers the Red Shuttle because it gets her
  to the airport in an hour and a half, while the
  Blue Shuttle takes 80 minutes.

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Practice

• We should stop renting and buy a house now
  because interest rates are so low.
• Hidden assumptions?

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Practice

• I need a special computer for a project I will be
  working on for the next 3 months. After that, I
  will no longer need the computer. I can lease
  the computer for 350/month, or I can buy it for
  2100. If I resell it after 3 months, I can
  expect to get 1200.

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• Lease
• 3x350
• 1050

• Purchase
• 2100 resale (1200)
• 900

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Practice

• You own a small business and need to be in
  Houston on Monday for a meeting. You could fly
  to the meeting Monday morning and return Monday
  evening on a ticket priced at 750. However, if
  you include a Saturday night stay in your trip,
  the ticket will be only 335.

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Practice

• A hotel will cost 105/night
• You estimate that meals away from home will cost
  55 per day.

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• Monday
• 750

• Saturday
• 335
• 2x 105
• 2x 55
• 655

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Practice

• The athletic program is given more money than any
  academic department, so this university must
  value athletics over academics. Also, the
  football coach is the highest paid university
  employee.

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Homework for Wednesday

• Pages 75-79
• 12, 19, 24, 34, 47