Discussion Responses
Need 5-6 sentences for each discussion. No format needed.
1.
“Identifying Truth or Fiction” Please respond to the following:
• The video clip ‘The Baloney Detection Kit’ https://youtu.be/hJmRbSX8Rqo discusses the many ways in which an effective critical thinker assesses the claims made by others. Explain what you believe is the real difference between ‘science’ and ‘pseudoscience’.
• Examine the key reasons why so many people might seem to be attracted to more pseudoscience-type claims. Describe at least two (2) such claims that you have heard people make, and analyze the main reasons why such claims do or do not meet rigorous scientific methodology standards. Determine at least two (2) ways in which the material discussed this week has changed your own thinking.
2.
“Problem Solving Interview Question” Please respond to the following:
• Respond to this typical interview question: Explain a specific example in which you utilized problem solving strategies to resolve a problem in the real world.
• Provide your feedback from the perspective of an interview coach to at least three (3) of your classmates.
3.
“The Relationship Between Language and Thinking” Please respond to the following:
• Consider the following quote by the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, who believed that thought without language was impossible: “The limits of my language are the limits of my life.” For more information on Wittgenstein and his analysis on the primacy of language, watch the video “Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889 – 1951) The Limits of Language”, located at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgW_PFl-Xs4. Next, examine whether or not it is possible to think without using language. If you believe it is possible, describe the primary ways in which a person might enact so-called “languageless” thinking. If you believe it is not possible, describe what you foresee as major problems with languageless thinking.
4.
“Ethics and Trust in Critical Thinking Decisions” Please respond to the following:
• Imagine you are seeking information on a new car that you are thinking of buying. Determine the level of trust that you would place in information provided by the following: a salesman at the car lot, the dealer’s Website, social media (i.e. Facebook), an associate from work, and finally a close friend. Discuss the key factors involved in assessing the amount of trust that you put into each.
• If you were in a position to persuade another person, explain whether or not you would slant information in such a way as to make your point seem more credible if you sincerely believed that your position was correct. Discuss the primary ethical dilemmas that this scenario could cause for both you and the person whom you are trying to persuade.
5.
“The Value of Critical Thinking” Please respond to the following:
• Give your opinion on whether being an effective critical thinker makes decision making easier or more challenging. Justify your response.
• Consider the following statement: “The major difference between a successful person and one that is not successful is that the successful person, over time, tends to make better decisions than the less successful person.” Discuss whether or not you believe this statement to be true. Explain the fundamental ways in which effectively applying critical thinking concepts has helped you to become more successful.
