SSH 105 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Peer Pressure, Philosophical Skepticism, Stereotype

• School: Ryerson University
• Department: Social Sciences and Humanities
• Course: SSH 105
• Professor: Andrew Hunter

Document Summary

We tend to accept claims solely because it furthers your own interests: ex: the university should not raise tuition fees because i am a student, and i don"t want to pay more tuition. We are also tempted to accept claims for no other reason than that thy help you save face. Watch out when things get personal: if your evaluation or defence of a position evokes anger, passion, or fear, your thinking could be prejudiced or clouded. Be alert to ways that critical thinking can be undermined. Peer pressure: group pressure to accept or reject a claim solely on the basis of what one"s peers think or do. Appeal to popularity (or to the masses): the fallacy of arguing that a claim must be true merely because a lot of people believe it. Stereotyping: drawing conclusions about people without sufficient reasons.