Critical Thinking – Instructor’s Manual (2024 Evergreen Edition) | Moore & Parker | Complete Teaching Resource with Solutions & Explanations

INSTRUCTOR’S MANUAL

CRITICAL THINKING
2024 EVERGREEN EDITION RELEASE

CHAPTER NO. 01: DRIVING BLINDFOLDED


ANSWERS TO TEXT EXERCISES

EXERCISE 1-1


1. ▲Arguments are instances of reasoning. They have two components, the conclusion, and
the premises. The conclusion is thought to be derivable from the meaning of the words in
the premises, or to be made more likely by the premises being true.
2. True
3. False
4. ▲False
5. True
6. True
7. ▲True
8. False
9. True
10. ▲ True
11. False
12. Ethical or moral subjectivism
13. ▲True
14. True
15. True
16. ▲False
17. True
18. False

, 19. ▲True
20. False


Exercise 1-2


1. ▲This item belongs in one group.
2. This belongs in the same group as item 1.
3. This belongs in a different group from 1.
4. ▲This item belongs in the same group as item 1.
5. This belongs in a different group from 1 and 4.
6. This belongs in a different group from 1 and 4.
7. ▲This belongs in a different group from 1 and 4.
8. This belongs in the same group as 1 and 4.
9. This belongs in a different group from 1 and 4.
10. ▲This belongs in the same group as 1 and 4.


Exercise 1-3


1. ▲Not factual
2. Factual
3. Factual
4. ▲Not factual
5. Factual
6. Not factual
7. ▲Not factual
8. Not factual
9. Factual
10. ▲Factual
11. Not factual
12. Not factual


Exercise 1-4

, 1. ▲Non-factual
2. Factual
3. Non-factual
4. ▲Non-factual
5. Factual
6. Non-factual
7. ▲Factual, assuming the speaker is just asserting that the movie frightened his sister a lot.
8. Non-factual
9. Non-factual
10. ▲Non-factual


Exercise 1-5


1. ▲Argument
2. Not an argument
3. Not an argument
4. ▲Not an argument
5. Not an argument
6. Argument
7. ▲No arguments here
8. Argument
9. Argument
10. ▲Argument. The last sentence is the conclusion.


Exercise 1-6


1. ▲Does not contain an argument.
2. Argument, whose conclusion is that we will have to find someone else who owns a truck.
3. Argument, whose conclusion is that bans on firearms are counterproductive.
4. ▲Argument, whose conclusion is that computers will never be able to converse
intelligently through speech.

, 5. Argument, whose conclusion is that The Carrie Diaries isn’t very good.
6. Does not contain an argument.
7. ▲Argument, whose conclusion is that chemicals in teething rings and soft plastic toys may
cause cancer.
8. Argument, whose conclusion is that as long as the number of lethal weapons in the hands
of the American people continues to grow, so will the murder rates.
9. Argument, whose conclusion is that times have changed.
10. ▲Does not contain an argument.


Exercise 1-7


1. ▲c
2. a
3. d
4. ▲c
5. c
6. c
7. ▲b
8. c
9. a
10. ▲c


Exercise 1-8

1. ▲We (the authors) are doubtlessly subject to most if not all cognitive biases and make an
effort correct for them when we form opinions. We may be especially prone to
overestimating the probability of events that are fresh in our minds (availability bias).
2. We (the authors) think we are probably subject to belief and confirmation bias and must
guard against a tendency to overestimate the strength of arguments whose conclusions we
agree with.
3. If the student (or anyone) likes an animal, they might tend to dismiss considerations against
keeping it as a pet. This would be a type of belief bias.
4. ▲Belief bias is the tendency to evaluate an argument on the basis of how believable its
conclusion is to us. Confirmation bias is the tendency to attach more weight to evidence
that supports our own point of view.