SSH 105 Chapter 1 Questions and Answers with complete solutions

The Nature of critical thinking - Critical thinking is reasonable and reflective thinking aimed at deciding what to believe and what to do. Critical Thinking and Knowledge - Critical thinking can help us to attain knowledge. Knowledge is justified, true belief. What is Truth? - Realism Relativism Nihilism Relativism and Disagreement - Argument from Disagreement (for Moral Relativism) (i) There is considerable sincere disagreement about morality. (ii) If there is considerable sincere disagreement about morality, then moral relativism is true. (iii) So moral relativism is true. What is Justification? - A belief is justified if it based or grounded in good reasons. Different kinds of reasons - pragmatic emotional epistemic (a.k.a. evidence) 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. Two bits of evidence are in indirect conflict - when one indicates that the other is not acceptable.If the first is stronger than the other, then the first undermines the second. When Reasons Conflict - Sometimes when evidence conflicts, the proper thing for a critical thinker to do is to withhold belief. Some Mistakes to Avoid - Personalizing Reasons: it is a mistake to personalize reasons by treating them as if they belonged to someone. This is a mistake for two reasons. 1. Epistemic reasons are universal: if they are reasons for one person to believe something, then they are reasons for everyone to believe it. 2. Epistemic reasons are objective: whether a piece of evidence