PHI 1101 Lecture 4: Chapter 4
23 May 2018
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Chapter 4
Claims lack credibility to the extent they conflict with our observations, experience, or
background information, or come from sources that lack credibility !
The less initial plausibility a claim has, the more extraordinary it seems, and the less it fits with
our background information the more suspicious we should be !
Interested parties should always be viewed with more suspicion than disinterested parties !
Doubts about sources generally fall into two categories: doubts about the source’s knowledge
or expertise and doubts about the source’s veracity, objectivity, and accuracy !
We can form reasonably reliable judgements about a person’s knowledge by considering his or
her education, experience, accomplishments, reputation and position !
Claims made by experts, those with special knowledge in a subject, are the most reliable, but
the claims must pertain to the area of expertise and must not conflict with claims made by
other experts in the same area !
Major metropolitan newspaper, national newsmagazines, and network news shows generally
credible sources of news, but it is necessary to keep an open mind about what we learn from
them !
Governments have been known to influence and even to manipulate the news !
Sources like Wikipedia, institution websites, and news organizations can be helpful, but
skepticism is the order of the day when we obtain information from unknown internet sources
or advocacy TV !
Advertising assaults us at every turn, attempting to sell us goods, services, beliefs, and
attitudes. Because substantial talent and resources are employed in this effort, we need to ask
ourselves constantly whether the products in question will really make the differences in our
lives that their advertising claims or hints they will make. Advertisers are always more
concerned with selling you something than with improving your life. They are concerned with
improving their own lives !
What goes for advocacy television also goes for talk radio !
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find more resources at oneclass.com
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Document Summary
Claims lack credibility to the extent they con ict with our observations, experience, or background information, or come from sources that lack credibility. The less initial plausibility a claim has, the more extraordinary it seems, and the less it ts with our background information the more suspicious we should be. Interested parties should always be viewed with more suspicion than disinterested parties. Doubts about sources generally fall into two categories: doubts about the source"s knowledge or expertise and doubts about the source"s veracity, objectivity, and accuracy. We can form reasonably reliable judgements about a person"s knowledge by considering his or her education, experience, accomplishments, reputation and position. Claims made by experts, those with special knowledge in a subject, are the most reliable, but the claims must pertain to the area of expertise and must not con ict with claims made by other experts in the same area.
