BUSN 410 Week 4 Study Guide
Less 1 overview:
Critical thinking is the ability to consider long-term consequences and make decisions that
enhance our development. Critical thinkers are autonomous and self-directed, and they
therefore know how and when to resist authority and social pressures. Critical thinking involves
gathering accurate and relevant evidence, and using rules of logic to judge, analyze and discern
good from faulty arguments. Our critical thinking ability is influenced by our skill in research,
analytical communication, creativity, open-mindedness, flexibility, and stage of cognitive
development. There are three main stages of cognitive development: dualism, relativism and
commitment.
Critical thinking comprises three recursive, interdependent dimensions: experience,
interpretation and analysis. Therefore, self-development is crucial to developing critical thinking
skills. Self-development includes selfknowledge, choosing a life plan, facing challenges and
building healthy selfesteem. Critical thinking skills are required if democracy is to thrive as it
allows citizens to effectively participate in and shape governance.
We need to overcome our personal obstacles to critical thinking. Obstacles include resistance,
narrow-mindedness, rationalization, double-think, cognitive and social dissonance, and stress.
We also need to integrate reason and emotion in a balanced way to enhance our critical
reasoning resources and strengthen our ability to reach our goals.
The three main arguments related to reason and faith are fideism, rationalism and critical
rationalism. Although this is a controversial issue, critical rationalism does not see reason and
faith as conflicting concepts, as it balances doubt and belief by questioning claims about faith
that are inconsistent with evidence and reason. Just because we cannot prove something does
not mean it does not exist. This is the fallacy of ignorance. Just because we cannot prove God’s
existence or if artificial intelligence has consciousness or emotion, does not necessarily mean
they do not exist.
Topics covered include:
Critical thinking
• Self-development
• Reason and emotion
• Faith and reason
Anthropocentrism - The belief that humans are the most important entities in the universe.
Artificial intelligence - Computers and machines that were created to reason, perceive and act
to reach goals.
, Cognitive dissonance - The disorientation that occurs when a situation or new idea conflicts
with one’s beliefs, thoughts or attitudes.
Confirmation bias - The tendency to interpret all evidence as confirming a belief, or to dismiss
evidence that does not confirm a belief.
Critical rationalism - The approach that argues against inconsistencies between reason and faith.
Critical thinking - The process of gathering evidence and using rules of logic to judge, analyze
and discern good from faulty arguments, that enables full personal development.
Doublethink - When two contrary views are held.
Dualism:
Egocentrism - Regarding the self to be most important and at the center of all things.
Emotional intelligence - The ability of being aware, in control and expressing emotions in such a
way that fosters empathy and insight in interpersonal relationships.
Ethnocentrism - Regarding one’s group or culture to be superior.
Faith - Trusting in and being obedient to a deity.
Fideism - The approach to faith and reason that argues that faith does not require reason since
the divine is revealed through revelation.
Logic - The study of reasoning that utilizes principles of validity to distinguish good arguments
from faulty arguments.
Method of belief - In critical analysis, one’s prejudices and doubts are suspended in order to be
open to a particular view.
Method of doubt - In critical analysis, one’s beliefs and preconceived ideas are suspended in
order to begin from a position of skepticism.
Opinion - A conclusion founded on feelings and beliefs and not on evidence or reason.
Rationalism - The approach to faith and reason that argues that actions and religion should be
based on knowledge, reason and evidence.
Reason - The process of forming conclusions based on evidence or knowledge.
Social dissonance - The disorientation that occurs when someone is exposed to social norms
that conflict with a person’s beliefs, thoughts or attitudes.
Relativism
Week 2 overview
Less 1 overview:
Critical thinking is the ability to consider long-term consequences and make decisions that
enhance our development. Critical thinkers are autonomous and self-directed, and they
therefore know how and when to resist authority and social pressures. Critical thinking involves
gathering accurate and relevant evidence, and using rules of logic to judge, analyze and discern
good from faulty arguments. Our critical thinking ability is influenced by our skill in research,
analytical communication, creativity, open-mindedness, flexibility, and stage of cognitive
development. There are three main stages of cognitive development: dualism, relativism and
commitment.
Critical thinking comprises three recursive, interdependent dimensions: experience,
interpretation and analysis. Therefore, self-development is crucial to developing critical thinking
skills. Self-development includes selfknowledge, choosing a life plan, facing challenges and
building healthy selfesteem. Critical thinking skills are required if democracy is to thrive as it
allows citizens to effectively participate in and shape governance.
We need to overcome our personal obstacles to critical thinking. Obstacles include resistance,
narrow-mindedness, rationalization, double-think, cognitive and social dissonance, and stress.
We also need to integrate reason and emotion in a balanced way to enhance our critical
reasoning resources and strengthen our ability to reach our goals.
The three main arguments related to reason and faith are fideism, rationalism and critical
rationalism. Although this is a controversial issue, critical rationalism does not see reason and
faith as conflicting concepts, as it balances doubt and belief by questioning claims about faith
that are inconsistent with evidence and reason. Just because we cannot prove something does
not mean it does not exist. This is the fallacy of ignorance. Just because we cannot prove God’s
existence or if artificial intelligence has consciousness or emotion, does not necessarily mean
they do not exist.
Topics covered include:
Critical thinking
• Self-development
• Reason and emotion
• Faith and reason
Anthropocentrism - The belief that humans are the most important entities in the universe.
Artificial intelligence - Computers and machines that were created to reason, perceive and act
to reach goals.
, Cognitive dissonance - The disorientation that occurs when a situation or new idea conflicts
with one’s beliefs, thoughts or attitudes.
Confirmation bias - The tendency to interpret all evidence as confirming a belief, or to dismiss
evidence that does not confirm a belief.
Critical rationalism - The approach that argues against inconsistencies between reason and faith.
Critical thinking - The process of gathering evidence and using rules of logic to judge, analyze
and discern good from faulty arguments, that enables full personal development.
Doublethink - When two contrary views are held.
Dualism:
Egocentrism - Regarding the self to be most important and at the center of all things.
Emotional intelligence - The ability of being aware, in control and expressing emotions in such a
way that fosters empathy and insight in interpersonal relationships.
Ethnocentrism - Regarding one’s group or culture to be superior.
Faith - Trusting in and being obedient to a deity.
Fideism - The approach to faith and reason that argues that faith does not require reason since
the divine is revealed through revelation.
Logic - The study of reasoning that utilizes principles of validity to distinguish good arguments
from faulty arguments.
Method of belief - In critical analysis, one’s prejudices and doubts are suspended in order to be
open to a particular view.
Method of doubt - In critical analysis, one’s beliefs and preconceived ideas are suspended in
order to begin from a position of skepticism.
Opinion - A conclusion founded on feelings and beliefs and not on evidence or reason.
Rationalism - The approach to faith and reason that argues that actions and religion should be
based on knowledge, reason and evidence.
Reason - The process of forming conclusions based on evidence or knowledge.
Social dissonance - The disorientation that occurs when someone is exposed to social norms
that conflict with a person’s beliefs, thoughts or attitudes.
Relativism
Week 2 overview
