Becoming a Critical Thinker - A Guide for the New Millennium

by Robert Todd Carroll

For one semester courses in Introduction to Logic and introductory courses in Critical Thinking. Becoming a Critical A Guide for the New Millennium provides a clear and useful set of tools for evaluating the probability of claims presented to students in their daily lives. In this new millennium, as the power and influence of the mass media continues to grow, students need to develop both fundamental critical thinking skills as well as specific skills that focus on the issues and obstacles particular to our times. Thus, much of this text aims at honing skills useful for separating the probable from the improbable in the daily barrage of claims hurled at students from newspapers, magazines, television, movies, radios, CDs, and the Internet.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Logic

236 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Robert Todd Carroll, PhD in philosophy

Reviews

[Rory Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drawing upon a life time of teaching, engagement and promotion of Scepticism, the author has poured an enormous amount of detail into this book.

The book has high expectations of its readers. Chapter 2s consideration of language immediately embarks into philosophical differences between cognitivism and emotivism, before then taking readers through problems of euphemisms, Hedging, Weasel Words and many other related issues.
When arguments are explored and evaluated in chapter 5, terms like ‘modus ponens’ and ‘disjunctive syllogisms’ are introduced, so that readers can engage with the technical terminology alongside the concepts.

The scope of the material is particularly impressive. Chapter 3s discussion of problems related to sources introduces the usual issues about witness reliability. But it then explores issues around media reliability and fake news. It even takes the reader through issues of allegations of liberal bias. These are all important topics, but they do not always find a place in books on Critical Thinking.

To help readers get to grips with the material, the author provides copious exercises and follow-up tasks at the end of each chapter.

I think this is an excellent book on Critical Thinking, but the amount of detail and complexity means that it might not be the best ‘first’ book for people beginning to familiarise themselves with the idea of Critical Thinking. Perhaps something like Scott Lovell's 50 page book 'Critical Thinking' would be a better introductory text. This book would then make a good follow-up book, deepening and developing ideas about Critical Thinking.

Readers may be interested to know that the author placed a free copy of this book on his website at the Skeptics Dictionary (skepdic.com), where it can be downloaded chapter by chapter. He sadly died in 2016 but the Skeptic Dictionary is continuing and includes many additional articles and materials extending ideas and discussions in the book.

[Khalid S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Becoming an accomplished critical thinker can be considered a five-step process:
Step 1: Adopt the Attitude of a Critical Thinker
Step 2: Recognize and Avoid Critical Thinking Hindrances
Step 3: Identify and Characterize Arguments
Step 4: Evaluate Information Sources
Step 5: Evaluate Arguments

[John Gronau]

very good

[Elizabeth]

As heard on Point of Inquiry.