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How to Think About Weird Things : Critical Thinking for a New Age (2nd)

ISBN: 9780767400138 | 0767400135
Edition: 2nd
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Pub Group West
Pub. Date: 10/1/1998

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SummaryTable of Contents
This brief, inexpensive text helps students think critically, using examples from the weird claims and beliefs that abound in our culture to demonstrate the sound evaluation of any claim. The authors focus on types of logical arguments and proofs, making How to Think about Weird Things a versatile supplement for logic, critical thinking, philosophy of science, or any other science appreciation courses.
... MORE
FOREWORDv(2)
PREFACEvii
Chapter 1 Introduction: Close Encounters with the Strange
1(12)
THE IMPORTANCE OF WHY
2(2)
BEYOND WEIRD TO THE ABSURD
4(2)
A WEIRDNESS SAMPLER
6(6)
Notes
12(1)
Chapter 2 The Possibility of the Impossible
13(17)
PARADIGMS AND THE PARANORMAL
14(1)
LOGICAL POSSIBILITY VERSUS PHYSICAL IMPOSSIBILITY
15(3)
THE APPEAL TO IGNORANCE
18(2)
THE POSSIBILITY OF ESP
20(1)
THEORIES AND THINGS
21(2)
ON KNOWING THE FUTURE
23(4)
Study Questions
27(1)
Suggested Readings
27(1)
Notes
28(2)
Chapter 3 Looking for Truth in Personal Experience
30(38)
SEEMING AND BEING
31(3)
PERCEIVING: TRUE OR FALSE?
34(11)
Perceptual Constancies
34(1)
The Role of Expectation
35(2)
Looking for Clarity in Vagueness
37(2)
The Blondlot Case
39(3)
"Constructing" UFOs
42(3)
REMEMBERING: DO WE REVISE THE PAST?
45(7)
JUDGING: THE HABIT OF UNWARRANTED ASSUMPTIONS
52(9)
Against All Odds
52(3)
Selective Attention
55(1)
The Lunar Effect
56(1)
The Forer Effect
56(3)
Vague Prophecies
59(2)
THE LIMITS OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
61(3)
Study Questions
64(1)
Suggested Readings
64(1)
Notes
64(4)
Chapter 4 Relativism, Truth, and Reality
68(25)
"TRUTH IS RELATIVE TO INDIVIDUALS"
69(2)
"TRUTH IS RELATIVE TO SOCIETIES"
71(3)
"TRUTH IS RELATIVE TO CONCEPTUAL SCHEMES"
74(3)
THE RELATIVIST'S PETARD
77(2)
FACING REALITY
79(2)
"WE CREATE OUR OWN REALITY"
81(5)
"WE CREATE REALITY BY CONSENSUS"
86(3)
Study Questions
89(2)
Suggested Readings
91(1)
Notes
91(2)
Chapter 5 Knowledge, Belief, and Evidence
93(39)
BABYLONIAN KNOWLEDGE-ACQUISITION TECHNIQUES
94(1)
PROPOSITIONAL KNOWLEDGE
95(1)
REASONS AND EVIDENCE
96(7)
EXPERT OPINION
103(3)
COHERENCE AND JUSTIFICATION
106(1)
SOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE
107(3)
THE APPEAL TO FAITH
110(3)
THE APPEAL TO INTUITION
113(3)
THE APPEAL TO MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE
116(5)
ASTROLOGY REVISITED
121(7)
Study Questions
128(1)
Suggested Readings
128(1)
Notes
129(3)
Chapter 6 Evidence and Inference
132(16)
DENYING THE EVIDENCE
133(3)
CONFIRMATION BIAS
136(1)
THE LOGIC OF CONFIRMATION
137(3)
THE AVAILABILITY ERROR
140(4)
MISINTERPRETING EVIDENCE
144(2)
Study Questions
146(1)
Suggested Readings
146(1)
Notes
147(1)
Chapter 7 Science and Its Pretenders
148(47)
SCIENCE AND DOGMA
149(1)
SCIENCE AND SCIENTISM
150(1)
SCIENTIFIC METHODOLOGY
151(4)
CONFIRMING AND CONFUTING HYPOTHESES
155(5)
CRITERIA OF ADEQUACY
160(11)
Testability
161(2)
Fruitfulness
163(2)
Scope
165(2)
Simplicity
167(3)
Conservatism
170(1)
CREATIONISM, EVOLUTION,AND CRITERIA OF ADEQUACY
171(8)
PARAPSYCHOLOGY
179(12)
Study Questions
191(1)
Suggested Readings
191(1)
Notes
191(4)
Chapter 8 How to Assess a "Miracle Cure"
195(38)
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
197(7)
The Variable Nature of Illness
198(1)
The Placebo Effect
198(3)
Overlooked Causes
201(3)
THE DOCTOR'S EVIDENCE
204(7)
THE APPEAL TO TRADITION
211(2)
THE REASONS OF SCIENCE
213(16)
Medical Research
215(1)
Single Studies
215(2)
Conflicting Results
217(1)
Studies Conflicting with Fact
218(1)
Limitations of Studies
218(1)
Types of Studies
218(1)
In Vitro Experiments
218(1)
Animal Studies
219(3)
Observational Studies
222(2)
Clinical Trials
224(5)
Study Questions
229(1)
Suggested Readings
230(1)
Notes
230(3)
Chapter 9 Case Studies in the Extraordinary
233(51)
THE SEARCH FORMULA
235(5)
Step 1: State the Claim
236(1)
Step 2: Examine the Evidence for the Claim
236(1)
Step 3: Consider Alternative Hypotheses
237(1)
Step 4: Rate, According to the Criteria of Adequacy, Each Hypothesis
238(2)
HOMEOPATHY
240(3)
DOWSING
243(4)
UFO ABDUCTIONS
247(11)
CHANNELING
258(10)
NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES
268(12)
Study Questions
280(1)
Suggested Readings
280(1)
Notes
280(4)
Appendix Informal Fallacies
284(7)
UNACCEPTABLE PREMISES
285(1)
Begging the Question
285(1)
False Dilemma
285(1)
IRRELEVANT PREMISES
286(3)
Equivocation
286(1)
Composition
286(1)
Division
287(1)
Appeal to the Person
287(1)
Genetic Fallacy
287(1)
Appeal to Authority
288(1)
Appeal to the Masses
288(1)
Appeal to Tradition
288(1)
Appeal to Ignorance
288(1)
Appeal to Fear
289(1)
INSUFFICIENT PREMISES
289(1)
Hasty Generalization
289(1)
Faulty Analogy
289(1)
False Cause
290(1)
Note
290(1)
Epilogue Mysteries in Perspective291(2)
CREDITS293(2)
INDEX295

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