D265 WGU - Critical Thinking - Reason And
Evidence – Q’s & A’s
PROPOSITIONS ✔️Are statements that can be true or false
NON-PROPOSITONS ✔️Are sentences that are not statements about
matters of fact or fiction. They do not make a claim that can be true or false.
SIMPLE PROPOSITIONS ✔️Have no internal logic structure, meaning
whether they are true or false does not depend on whether a part of them is
true or false. They are simply true or false on their own. (Example: Harry
Potter wears glasses. The sky is blue.)
COMPLEX PROPOSITIONS ✔️Have internal logic structure, meaning they
are composed of simple propositions. Whether they are true or false depends
on whether their parts are true or false. (Example: The sky is blue, but it does
not look blue to me right now. The cat ate the food, but he did not like it. The
GDP of Canada is either $3 trillion or $12 trillion.)
Words used to identify Independent Propositions ✔️AND, OR, EITHER,
BUT, IF, THEN.
CONCLUSION INDICATORS ✔️THEREFORE, SO, IT FOLLOWS THAT,
HENCE, THUS, ENTAILS THAT, WE MAY CONCLUDE THAT, IMPLIES THAT,
WHEREFORE, AND AS A RESULT.
PREMISE INDICATORS ✔️BECAUSE, FOR, GIVEN THAT, AS, SINCE, AS
INDICATED BY.
DEDUCTIVE ARGUMENTS ✔️Arguments where the premises guarantee or
necessitate the conclusion.
-mathematical arguments, logical arguments, arguments from definition.
INDUCTION ARGUMENTS ✔️Arguments where the premises make the
conclusion probable.
-analogies, authority, causal inferences, extrapolations, etc.
, INFERENCE TO THE BEST EXPLANATION OR ABDUCTION ✔️Arguments
where the best available explanation is chosen as the correct explanation.
FORMAL FALLACY ✔️Concerns the structure of an argument
INFORMAL FALLACY ✔️Concerns the informational content of an
argument
A FORMAL FALLACY IS A TYPE OF ✔️Bad Argument Structure
Which piece of information would be the most helpful to know in assessing
the credibility of a news story? ✔️Whether the name of the author and the
publication are identified
Which questions are most appropriate for evaluating the credibility of an
information source? ✔️Who funded it? & Does it try to get you to distrust
other sources?
While researching a topic on the internet, a student encounters two different
websites, one of that looks more official than the other and includes tables,
charts, and statistics, while the other does not.
What is the line of reasoning this student should employ to determine which
site is more credible? ✔️It is not feasible to determine which site is more
credible from the information provided.
In which way should an information source be approached if it is stating that
it is the only source of real information and that other sources cannot be
trusted? ✔️Skeptically, because the source may lack credibility.
PRINCIPLE OF CHARITY ✔️The principle of charity suggests we should try
to understand ideas before criticizing them.
Which of the following are reasons for applying the principle of charity?
✔️It is morally right to give others the benefit of the doubt.
It allows for a clearer understanding of the issue.
Smith is committed to the belief that technological advancement is always
beneficial and thus never detrimental to human life. Smith reads a carefully
written and sufficiently argued essay in which the author contends that the
Evidence – Q’s & A’s
PROPOSITIONS ✔️Are statements that can be true or false
NON-PROPOSITONS ✔️Are sentences that are not statements about
matters of fact or fiction. They do not make a claim that can be true or false.
SIMPLE PROPOSITIONS ✔️Have no internal logic structure, meaning
whether they are true or false does not depend on whether a part of them is
true or false. They are simply true or false on their own. (Example: Harry
Potter wears glasses. The sky is blue.)
COMPLEX PROPOSITIONS ✔️Have internal logic structure, meaning they
are composed of simple propositions. Whether they are true or false depends
on whether their parts are true or false. (Example: The sky is blue, but it does
not look blue to me right now. The cat ate the food, but he did not like it. The
GDP of Canada is either $3 trillion or $12 trillion.)
Words used to identify Independent Propositions ✔️AND, OR, EITHER,
BUT, IF, THEN.
CONCLUSION INDICATORS ✔️THEREFORE, SO, IT FOLLOWS THAT,
HENCE, THUS, ENTAILS THAT, WE MAY CONCLUDE THAT, IMPLIES THAT,
WHEREFORE, AND AS A RESULT.
PREMISE INDICATORS ✔️BECAUSE, FOR, GIVEN THAT, AS, SINCE, AS
INDICATED BY.
DEDUCTIVE ARGUMENTS ✔️Arguments where the premises guarantee or
necessitate the conclusion.
-mathematical arguments, logical arguments, arguments from definition.
INDUCTION ARGUMENTS ✔️Arguments where the premises make the
conclusion probable.
-analogies, authority, causal inferences, extrapolations, etc.
, INFERENCE TO THE BEST EXPLANATION OR ABDUCTION ✔️Arguments
where the best available explanation is chosen as the correct explanation.
FORMAL FALLACY ✔️Concerns the structure of an argument
INFORMAL FALLACY ✔️Concerns the informational content of an
argument
A FORMAL FALLACY IS A TYPE OF ✔️Bad Argument Structure
Which piece of information would be the most helpful to know in assessing
the credibility of a news story? ✔️Whether the name of the author and the
publication are identified
Which questions are most appropriate for evaluating the credibility of an
information source? ✔️Who funded it? & Does it try to get you to distrust
other sources?
While researching a topic on the internet, a student encounters two different
websites, one of that looks more official than the other and includes tables,
charts, and statistics, while the other does not.
What is the line of reasoning this student should employ to determine which
site is more credible? ✔️It is not feasible to determine which site is more
credible from the information provided.
In which way should an information source be approached if it is stating that
it is the only source of real information and that other sources cannot be
trusted? ✔️Skeptically, because the source may lack credibility.
PRINCIPLE OF CHARITY ✔️The principle of charity suggests we should try
to understand ideas before criticizing them.
Which of the following are reasons for applying the principle of charity?
✔️It is morally right to give others the benefit of the doubt.
It allows for a clearer understanding of the issue.
Smith is committed to the belief that technological advancement is always
beneficial and thus never detrimental to human life. Smith reads a carefully
written and sufficiently argued essay in which the author contends that the
