Critical ThinkingCritical Thinking

"Critical Thinking: The Basics is an accessible and engaging introduction to the field of critical thinking, drawing on philosophy, communication and psychology. Emphasising its relevance to decision making and as a transferable skill, this book introduces and explains the knowledge, methods and skills needed to identify and avoid poor reasoning, reconstruct and evaluate arguments, and engage constructively in dialogues. Topics covered include: the relationship between critical thinking, emotions and the psychology of persuasion the role of character dispositions such as open-mindedness, courage and perseverance argument identification and reconstruction fallacies and argument evaluation. This second edition has been revised and updated throughout and includes a new chapter on emotion and argument and how to build persuasive arguments. There are also many fresh examples, including conspiracy theories, trust, leadership and cultural cognition. With updated discussion questions/exercises and suggestions for further reading at the end of each main chapter, this book is an essential read for students approaching the field of critical thinking for the first time, and for the general reader wanting to improving their thinking skills and decision making abilities"--