Science and Critical Thinking

George MatthewsSpring 2016

Why do you believe what you believe?

Why do you believe what you believe?

it’sobvious

indoctrination

commonsense

authority

priorexposure

motivation

evidence

experience

proof

explanatoryvalue

fits withother beliefs

Why should you believe something?

it’sobvious

indoctrination

commonsense

authority

priorexposure

motivation

evidence

experience

proof

explanatoryvalue

fits withother beliefs

the uses of reason

1. categorization: what kinds of things are there?

2. generalization: what features do these things share?

3. enumeration: how many of these are there?

4. inference: given this information, what follows logically?

5. explanation: why did that happen?

6. prediction: what’s going to happen next?

7. criticism: what’s wrong with this picture?

the uses of reason

1. categorization: what kinds of things are there?

2. generalization: what features do these things share?

3. enumeration: how many of these are there?

4. inference: given this information, what follows logically?

5. explanation: why did that happen?

6. prediction: what’s going to happen next?

7. criticism: what’s wrong with this picture?

the uses of reason

1. categorization: what kinds of things are there?

2. generalization: what features do these things share?

3. enumeration: how many of these are there?

4. inference: given this information, what follows logically?

5. explanation: why did that happen?

6. prediction: what’s going to happen next?

7. criticism: what’s wrong with this picture?

the uses of reason

1. categorization: what kinds of things are there?

2. generalization: what features do these things share?

3. enumeration: how many of these are there?

4. inference: given this information, what follows logically?

5. explanation: why did that happen?

6. prediction: what’s going to happen next?

7. criticism: what’s wrong with this picture?

the uses of reason

1. categorization: what kinds of things are there?

2. generalization: what features do these things share?

3. enumeration: how many of these are there?

4. inference: given this information, what follows logically?

5. explanation: why did that happen?

6. prediction: what’s going to happen next?

7. criticism: what’s wrong with this picture?

the uses of reason

1. categorization: what kinds of things are there?

2. generalization: what features do these things share?

3. enumeration: how many of these are there?

4. inference: given this information, what follows logically?

5. explanation: why did that happen?

6. prediction: what’s going to happen next?

7. criticism: what’s wrong with this picture?

the uses of reason

1. categorization: what kinds of things are there?

2. generalization: what features do these things share?

3. enumeration: how many of these are there?

4. inference: given this information, what follows logically?

5. explanation: why did that happen?

6. prediction: what’s going to happen next?

7. criticism: what’s wrong with this picture?

the uses of reason

1. categorization: what kinds of things are there?

2. generalization: what features do these things share?

3. enumeration: how many of these are there?

4. inference: given this information, what follows logically?

5. explanation: why did that happen?

6. prediction: what’s going to happen next?

7. criticism: what’s wrong with this picture?

the uses of reason

1. categorization: what kinds of things are there?

2. generalization: what features do these things share?

3. enumeration: how many of these are there?

4. inference: given this information, what follows logically?

5. explanation: why did that happen?

6. prediction: what’s going to happen next?

7. criticism: what’s wrong with this picture?

arguments and explanations

F Argument: given things we already hold to be true, what elsemust we accept as true?

] Arguments are attempts to justify beliefs by providingreasons to believe them.

] What makes one argument more convincing than another?

F Explanation: why did that happen?

] Explanations are stories that try to account for why thingsare as they are and do what they do.

] Explanations might spell out the causes of things.

] Explanations might say why things had to turn out as theydid given the initial conditions and the operative laws ofnature.

arguments and explanations

F Argument: given things we already hold to be true, what elsemust we accept as true?

] Arguments are attempts to justify beliefs by providingreasons to believe them.

] What makes one argument more convincing than another?

F Explanation: why did that happen?

] Explanations are stories that try to account for why thingsare as they are and do what they do.

] Explanations might spell out the causes of things.

] Explanations might say why things had to turn out as theydid given the initial conditions and the operative laws ofnature.

arguments and explanations

F Argument: given things we already hold to be true, what elsemust we accept as true?

] Arguments are attempts to justify beliefs by providingreasons to believe them.

] What makes one argument more convincing than another?

F Explanation: why did that happen?

] Explanations are stories that try to account for why thingsare as they are and do what they do.

] Explanations might spell out the causes of things.

] Explanations might say why things had to turn out as theydid given the initial conditions and the operative laws ofnature.

arguments and explanations

F Argument: given things we already hold to be true, what elsemust we accept as true?

] Arguments are attempts to justify beliefs by providingreasons to believe them.

] What makes one argument more convincing than another?

F Explanation: why did that happen?

] Explanations are stories that try to account for why thingsare as they are and do what they do.

] Explanations might spell out the causes of things.

] Explanations might say why things had to turn out as theydid given the initial conditions and the operative laws ofnature.

arguments and explanations

F Argument: given things we already hold to be true, what elsemust we accept as true?

] Arguments are attempts to justify beliefs by providingreasons to believe them.

] What makes one argument more convincing than another?

F Explanation: why did that happen?

] Explanations are stories that try to account for why thingsare as they are and do what they do.

] Explanations might spell out the causes of things.

] Explanations might say why things had to turn out as theydid given the initial conditions and the operative laws ofnature.

arguments and explanations

F Argument: given things we already hold to be true, what elsemust we accept as true?

] Arguments are attempts to justify beliefs by providingreasons to believe them.

] What makes one argument more convincing than another?

F Explanation: why did that happen?

] Explanations are stories that try to account for why thingsare as they are and do what they do.

] Explanations might spell out the causes of things.

] Explanations might say why things had to turn out as theydid given the initial conditions and the operative laws ofnature.

arguments and explanations

F Argument: given things we already hold to be true, what elsemust we accept as true?

] Arguments are attempts to justify beliefs by providingreasons to believe them.

] What makes one argument more convincing than another?

F Explanation: why did that happen?

] Explanations are stories that try to account for why thingsare as they are and do what they do.

] Explanations might spell out the causes of things.

] Explanations might say why things had to turn out as theydid given the initial conditions and the operative laws ofnature.

arguments and explanations

F Argument: given things we already hold to be true, what elsemust we accept as true?

] Arguments are attempts to justify beliefs by providingreasons to believe them.

] What makes one argument more convincing than another?

F Explanation: why did that happen?

] Explanations are stories that try to account for why thingsare as they are and do what they do.

] Explanations might spell out the causes of things.

] Explanations might say why things had to turn out as theydid given the initial conditions and the operative laws ofnature.

arguments and explanations

F Argument: given things we already hold to be true, what elsemust we accept as true?

] Arguments are attempts to justify beliefs by providingreasons to believe them.

] What makes one argument more convincing than another?

F Explanation: why did that happen?

] Explanations are stories that try to account for why thingsare as they are and do what they do.

] Explanations might spell out the causes of things.

] Explanations might say why things had to turn out as theydid given the initial conditions and the operative laws ofnature.

Which cards do you need to flip over inorder to test whether this rule is true?

All cards with an even number onone side have a vowel on the other.

Which cards do you need to flip over inorder to test whether this rule is true?

All cards with an even number onone side have a vowel on the other.

2 3 C A

Whose ID or drink do you need to check inorder to test whether this rule is being followed?

Nobody under 21 should be drinking beer.

Whose ID or drink do you need to check inorder to test whether this rule is being followed?

Nobody under 21 should be drinking beer.

17 23 beer soda

an argument

If modern biology is right, then all of life is one bigfamily tree and we are related to all other organismson the planet.

Modern biology is right.

So all of life is one big family tree and we are relatedto all other organisms on the planet.

an argument

If modern biology is right, then all of life is one bigfamily tree and we are related to all other organismson the planet.

Modern biology is right.

So all of life is one big family tree and we are relatedto all other organisms on the planet.

an explanation

The force of gravity explains why it is that things fallto earth, the tides rise and fall and the moon movesacross the sky every night.

This force is a universal attractive force between allthings with mass and it varies proportionally with theinverse of the square of the distance between objects.

an explanation

The force of gravity explains why it is that things fallto earth, the tides rise and fall and the moon movesacross the sky every night.

This force is a universal attractive force between allthings with mass and it varies proportionally with theinverse of the square of the distance between objects.