PHI 1101 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Critical Thinking, Party Tonight, Soundness

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Philosophy
• Course: PHI 1101
• Professor: Jon Charles Miller

Document Summary

The ability to reason fundamental characteristic of humans. To understand it properly, we need to understand how it differs from mere thinking. When we reason, we actively link thoughts together in a way that provides support for another thought; this process is called termed inference. Inference involves a special relationship between different thoughts; when we infer b from a, we move from a to b because we believe that a supports or justifies or makes it reasonable to believe in the truth of. The difference between just thinking and reasoning or inference: Alan is broke, and he is unhappy. Alan is broke, therefore he is unhappy. Anna was in an accident, and deserves an extension. Anna was in an accident, so she deserves an extension. The triangle has equal sides and equal angles. The triangle has equal sides, hence it has equal angles. Second sentence asserts a relationship between two thoughts; shown by the words hence, therefore, so.