Register | Sign In


Understanding through Discussion


EvC Forum active members: 65 (9162 total)
4 online now:
Newest Member: popoi
Post Volume: Total: 915,818 Year: 3,075/9,624 Month: 920/1,588 Week: 103/223 Day: 1/13 Hour: 0/1


Thread  Details

Email This Thread
Newer Topic | Older Topic
  
Author Topic:   What Does Critical Thinking Mean To You?
RAZD
Member (Idle past 1405 days)
Posts: 20714
From: the other end of the sidewalk
Joined: 03-14-2004


Message 303 of 339 (745061)
12-18-2014 4:02 PM
Reply to: Message 302 by NoNukes
12-18-2014 3:26 PM


Re: Critical Thinking Remix Again -- what is wrong with saying "I don't know" ???
In the first stage I not only lack belief in the bridge being there (or not being there), but I lack certainty about the condition of the bridge's existence, so I just don't know if the bridge is there or not.
Certainty is not required before forming an opinion.
Agreed, nothing prevents people from having whatever opinion they like ...
... but is that critical thinking or wishful thinking?
Enjoy

we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand
RebelAmerican☆Zen☯Deist
... to learn ... to think ... to live ... to laugh ...
to share.


Join the effort to solve medical problems, AIDS/HIV, Cancer and more with Team EvC! (click)

This message is a reply to:
 Message 302 by NoNukes, posted 12-18-2014 3:26 PM NoNukes has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 307 by Jon, posted 12-18-2014 7:28 PM RAZD has seen this message but not replied
 Message 315 by NoNukes, posted 12-29-2014 11:29 AM RAZD has replied

  
RAZD
Member (Idle past 1405 days)
Posts: 20714
From: the other end of the sidewalk
Joined: 03-14-2004


Message 304 of 339 (745063)
12-18-2014 4:15 PM
Reply to: Message 293 by jar
12-18-2014 11:46 AM


Critical Thinking Remix -- backup ... what?
Well then it's a damn good thing I never made such a claim.
Perhaps that is why I clarified my observation. You know, the part you omitted from the quote ...
So you are saying that you believe the bridge is there, but that you are likely wrong about the shape, color and construction style of the bridge ... which seems a bit nit-picky imho ...
Does this help?
Would you not agree that if you do not know if the bridge exists, that any discussion of shape, color or construction would be opinion unbased on evidence?
Learn to read.
Curiously I see this statement to many replies here, and I suggest that perhaps the original statement was not clear ...
Enjoy
Edited by RAZD, : ..

we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand
RebelAmerican☆Zen☯Deist
... to learn ... to think ... to live ... to laugh ...
to share.


Join the effort to solve medical problems, AIDS/HIV, Cancer and more with Team EvC! (click)

This message is a reply to:
 Message 293 by jar, posted 12-18-2014 11:46 AM jar has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 306 by jar, posted 12-18-2014 5:25 PM RAZD has seen this message but not replied

  
RAZD
Member (Idle past 1405 days)
Posts: 20714
From: the other end of the sidewalk
Joined: 03-14-2004


(1)
Message 321 of 339 (746070)
01-01-2015 3:25 PM
Reply to: Message 315 by NoNukes
12-29-2014 11:29 AM


Re: Critical Thinking Remix Again -- and levels of certainty
... We form an opinion that man is an evolved primate and we teach such things to children without being 100 per cent certain. ...
Wanting 100% certainty on anything is, imho, a completely unreasonable standard. The level of uncertainty we can have varies with the amount and quality of information we have.
Life requires that we act without complete information. When we are short of certainty, one logical approach is to access the probabilities and consequences for being right or wrong and to act even in the face of uncertainty. ...
I have this from former debates regarding confidence:
relative likelihood
of being real
more evidence less evidence
Confirming more possibility less possibility
Contradicting less possibility more possibility
These should be combined for an overall picture:
  1. when there is more confirming evidence with less contracting evidence, there is greater possibility (and more certainty) regarding it being real,
  2. when there is more contradicting evidence with less confirming evidence, there is greater possibility (and more certainty) regarding it NOT being real,
  3. when there is less confirming evidence along with less contracting evidence, there are some conflicting possibilities (and some uncertainty) regarding it being real (or not), and
  4. when there is more confirming evidence along with more contracting evidence, there are more conflicting possibilities (and more uncertainty) regarding it being real (or not).
Now the choices we make are clouded by our worldview and beliefs regarding the available evidence.
... We plan to drive to work crossing that bridge tomorrow and we are not 100 per cent sure our car is going to start.
Depending on your past experience with the bridge and the car you could have high confidence that (all things being equal) the bridge is likely to be in the same condition as you last experienced going to work, and you may have low confidence that the car will start.
Curiously I have a car with an intermittent short that drains the battery every time it rains and the car is parked. I can be pretty confident that the car won't start after a rainfall. So I have a "plan B" -- a "jump pack" battery in the trunk that I can hook up and start the car. (I keep it in the car in case I need it away from home). This works as long as the jump pack is fully charged ... and it takes about 5 extra minutes to get started.
Enjoy

we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand
RebelAmerican☆Zen☯Deist
... to learn ... to think ... to live ... to laugh ...
to share.


Join the effort to solve medical problems, AIDS/HIV, Cancer and more with Team EvC! (click)

This message is a reply to:
 Message 315 by NoNukes, posted 12-29-2014 11:29 AM NoNukes has not replied

  
Newer Topic | Older Topic
Jump to:


Copyright 2001-2023 by EvC Forum, All Rights Reserved

™ Version 4.2
Innovative software from Qwixotic © 2024