Week 2: Logic and Critical Thinking
1. For Argument’s Sake
In this TED talk, philosopher Daniel H. Cohen argues that our world of talk radio pundits and combative debate has…
2. The Work Required to Have an Opinion
When, where, and how should you share your opinion? There are some prerequisites.
3. Give It Five Minutes
Jason Fried of 37 Signals discusses the importance of taking time to think things through before being too quick to…
4. You Have No Idea How Wrong You Are
Human beings are remarkably good at getting things wrong. Many of our moments of greatest certainty come when we're furthest…
5. M.M. McCabe on the Socratic Method
Perhaps you've heard that Socrates was one of the fathers of philosophy. But what made him so unique and memorable…
6. Critical Reasoning
Reasoning is a skill like any other. You can choose to do it well or badly, and that choice depends…
7. An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments
Logical fallacies, illustrated by cartoon characters. Need we say more? Read An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments here.
8. Exercise: Valid or Invalid?
Validity is one of the first tests for a good argument. This exercise will train you to spot what makes…
9. Exercise: Find the Fallacy
Here are some examples of fallacious statements. Practice identifying the fallacy committed in each example. Ready to find the fallacy?…
10. 151 Concepts to Improve your Cognitive Toolkit
In 2011, Edge.org publisher John Brockman, linguist Steven Pinker, and psychologist Daniel Kahneman asked 151 influential philosophers, doctors, and research…
11. How to Think Like a Philosopher
Daniel Dennett is a world-renowned thinker on the philosophy of consciousness. In this Big Think video, he explains how philosophers…
12. When Do Hypotheticals Cover Their Cost?
Economist Bryan Caplan writes on why the ability to engage in hypothetical thinking is essential for developing intellectual clarity.
13. Exercise: The Monty Hall Problem
Suppose you're on a game show, and you're given the choice of three doors: behind one door is a car;…
14. Exercise: The Newcomb Paradox
When Robert Nozick published the paper introducing this exercise – the Newcomb Paradox – in 1969, he wrote that "to…
15. Exercise: Should You Kill the Fat Man?
If you've encountered the Trolley Problem, you know that it frustrates many first-timers as well as many experienced philosophers. Well,…
16. Exercise: What Does Mary Do?
This exercise is all about testing your logical thinking skills, and perhaps lowering your opinion of them. Take the test.