Chapter 2. “I Already Think For Myself”: Being A Critical Thinker
Practice Exercises: Chapter 2
Group 1: Identifying Psychological Obstacles (Category 1)
Identify which specific psychological hindrance is at work in each scenario: Self-Interested Thinking, Face-Saving, Peer Pressure, Stereotyping, Confirmation Bias, or the Dunning-Kruger Effect.
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“I don’t need to look at the climate data from that agency; they are known for being biased, and I already know that the current trends are just natural cycles.”
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“I know I failed the driving test, but it’s only because the examiner was in a bad mood and purposefully chose a route with too much construction.”
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“I just started learning about stock trading two days ago, but I’m pretty sure I have a better ‘gut feeling’ for the market than most professional brokers who overcomplicate things.”
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“I’m voting for the new zoning law because it will significantly increase the property value of my home, even if it makes the neighborhood less affordable for others.”
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“Most of my friends think that new movie is a masterpiece, so I’ll just agree with them during dinner tonight even though I thought it was quite boring.”
Group 2: Relativism and Skepticism (Category 2)
Evaluate the following claims based on the philosophical obstacles discussed in Section 3.
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If a society believes that it is morally acceptable to exclude certain groups from education, then it is “true” for that society that such an action is right. What specific philosophical obstacle does this represent, and what is the “Reformer’s Dilemma” associated with it?
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“Since it is possible that we are all living in a computer simulation and everything we see is a digital illusion, we cannot truly ‘know’ that the sun will rise tomorrow.” How does a critical thinker respond to this using the concept of Reasonable Doubt?
Group 3: Objective vs. Subjective Statements
Classify each statement as Objective (truth is independent of opinion) or Subjective (truth depends on what someone thinks/feels).
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“The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted women the right to vote.”
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“The 19th Amendment is the most important addition to the Constitution.”
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“I feel much more confident about my logical skills after reading this chapter.”
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“This coffee is way too hot to drink comfortably.”
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“Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit at sea level.”
Group 4: Value Judgments
Determine if the following are Value Judgments. If they are, identify them as Moral or Non-Moral.
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“The sunset tonight is absolutely breathtaking.”
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“It is wrong to use someone else’s work without giving them proper credit.”
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“The speed limit on this highway is 65 miles per hour.”
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“You should be more kind to your classmates.”
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“That is an incredibly ugly tie.”
Answer Key
Group 1
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Confirmation Bias (Seeking out reasons to ignore conflicting data and stick to pre-existing views).
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Face-Saving (Blaming an external factor—the examiner—to protect one’s own image/ego).
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Dunning-Kruger Effect (Overestimating expertise due to a lack of knowledge of the subject’s complexities).
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Self-Interested Thinking (Accepting a claim or policy solely because it benefits oneself).
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Peer Pressure (Conforming to the group’s opinion for social approval).
Group 2
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Social Relativism. The Reformer’s Dilemma is that if truth is simply whatever a society believes, then a social reformer who disagrees with the majority is, by definition, wrong. This makes moral progress logically impossible.
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A critical thinker acknowledges that while absolute, 100% certainty is rarely possible, we can claim knowledge when something is beyond all reasonable doubt. The possibility of a simulation is an imaginable doubt, but not a reasonable one given our consistent physical evidence.
Group 3
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Objective (A historical fact that can be verified).
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Subjective (An opinion/assessment of importance).
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Subjective (An internal report of a personal feeling).
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Subjective (Depends on the individual’s sensitivity to heat).
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Objective (A scientific fact independent of opinion).
Group 4
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Value Judgment (Non-Moral) – Assessing aesthetic merit.
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Value Judgment (Moral) – Assigning ethical value to an action.
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Not a Value Judgment – A statement of fact/law.
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Value Judgment (Moral) – A prescription for ethical behavior.
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Value Judgment (Non-Moral) – A personal aesthetic judgment.
