SSH 105 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Critical Thinking, Agnosticism, Leading Edge
9 Mar 2018
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Document Summary
Critical thinking is reasonable thinking (in part) because it requires us to have good reasons for our conclusions. Reasons are good only when (i) they support our conclusions and (ii) they are acceptable. In this chapter, we will consider when our reasons for believing are acceptable. Evidence is acceptable when (i) it comes from a reliable source and (ii) it is neither undermined nor overridden by other evidence that we have. A source of evidence is reliable when it provides accurate information most of the time. Two bits of evidence are in direct conflict when one indicates that something is true and the other indicates that it is false. If one piece is stronger than the other, then the first overrides the second. It conflicts with evidence from a known reliable source. It directly conflicts with what we already have good reason to believe.
