Rowman And Littlefield Handbook For Critical Thinking

Introduction

Chapter 1: Word Hazards: Statements, Ambiguity, And Vagueness

A Logical Digression: Propositional Attitudes

Chapter 2: Complex Passages: Descriptions, Explanations, And Arguments

Odd Words

A Logical Digression: How Not To Distinguish Induction From Deduction, Or Why The Valid/inductive Distinction Is Better

Chapter 3: Finding Arguments

Chapter 4: Grounding Statements In Fact: Observation, Testimony, And Other Arguments Based Upon Criteria

Criteria For Evaluating Observation Statements

Criteria For Evaluating Testimony

Chapter 5: Deduction: Categorical Syllogisms

Conversion, Obversion, Contraposition

Categorical Syllogisms

a. A Logical Digression: Venn Diagrams

b. A Logical Digression: Conditional Validity

c. Odd Words

Enthymemes

Chapter 6: Arguments Based Upon Propositions

Statement Forms

a. A Logical Digression: Symbols And Truth Table Definitions

Argument Forms

a. Logical Digression: Truth Tables For Testing The Validity Of Arguments

b. Odd Words: Tautology, Contradiction, Contingent Statement

Logical Equivalences

a. A Logical Digression: Demonstrating The Equivalences With Truth Tables

Chapter 7: Probability Calculations

Theories Of Probability

a. Odd Words: Relative Frequency And Subjective Theories

Rules Of Probability

Chapter 8: Generalizations And Particularizations

Generalization Arguments

a. A Logical Digression: Surveys And Opinion Polls

Particularization Arguments

Chapter 9: Analogical Arguments

Analogical Arguments

a. A Logical Digression: Analogical Arguments Vs. Generalization And Particularization Arguments

Chapter 10: Evaluating Hypotheses: Inference To Best Explanation

Likelihood

Explanatory Power

Simplicity

Novelty

Appropriate Explanatory Content

Summary Of Factors In Evaluating Explanatory Inferences

Explanatory Inferences, Confirmation, Disconfirmation, And Bayes’s Theorem

Chapter 11: Causal Inferences

Mill’s Methods Of Causal Inference

Probabilistic Method Of Causal Inference

Counterfactual Method Of Causal Inference

Chapter 12: Counterfactual Reasoning

Supporting Counterfactual Claims

a. A Logical Digression: Counterfactual Fallacies

Chapter 13: Decisions Under Risk

Utility

Decision-Making Under Risk With One Factor

Decision-Making Under Risk With Multiple Factors

Chapter 14: Decisions Under Uncertainty

Additional Info
Just as The Elements of Style provides a quick and authoritative reference for writers, The Rowman & Littlefield Handbook for Critical Thinking provides a quick and authoritative reference for issues regarding reasoning.

The Handbook provides clear and succinct discussions of the following issues:

* Issues germane to clarifying sentences: ambiguity, vagueness, and propositional attitudes.

* General discussions of descriptions, explanations, and arguments.

* Criteria for evaluating observational statements and testimony.

* Categorical syllogisms, including issues germane to both the Boolean and Aristotelian interpretations.

* A complete system of propositional logic and a brief discussion of the use of truth tables.

* Induction: generalization and particularization arguments, analogies, arguments to the best explanation, Mill’s Methods, counterfactual reasoning, and making decisions under risk and uncertainty.

* A brief discussion of the principle formulas involved in calculating probabilities.

* An extended discussion of informal fallacies.

* An essay on the relationship between critical thinking and writing.