Argument Analysis and Evaluation
What are assumptions?
The assumptions refers to the various things that are taken for granted. This may also include various things that one had previously learned and therefore one does not have necessarily has to question. In addition the assumption may also be used to indicate part of the belief system. This is because a person usually develops beliefs that are then used to interpret the happening of the world behind them. One may therefore argue that if the belief system of an individual is sound then such is an individual may make a sound assumption. However if the belief system of an individual is not sound then such persons may end up making the wrong assumptions. Moreover it is also important to note that the assumption can be justified or not depending on the type of assumption made.
Assumption interference in critical thinking
There are various assumptions that interfere with the critical thinking. First, there is this assumption that other people are familiar with the problem or the issue that one wants to share. In relation to this one may also assume that others are also faced with the same problem that one wants to present and therefore have the same interest in the problem or the issue that one intends to present. The second assumption that affects the critical thinking is the assumption that small imperfection in the person ideas will not affect the people acceptance to it. This is wrong assumption since the people who disagree with ones ideas use such imperfection to question the idea. The third assumption that interferes with critical thinking is the assumption that if something is not clear to ones thinking it will be clear to the other people. Moreover, the assumptions that the people who stand to benefit from ones idea will automatically benefit without any persuasion also interfere with critical thinking.
What might you do to avoid making assumptions in your thinking
In order to avoid making assumption one first needs to clarify his or her own thinking. In relation to this one therefore needs to state one point at a time. This can allow the listeners to understand clearly the point that one intend to raise. Elaborating the meaning of each point can also help to ensure that the listener understood the point being raised. Moreover, one also needs to stick to the point. This can help the listeners to make a logical connection of the various issues being raised. Another important thing that one needs to look out is any question that may arise from the ideas presented. This can help to clarify any detail that may not be clear in the explanation. One also needs to ensure that he or she is reasonable in thinking. This can help to ensure that the one is able to identify the level if willingness among the audience. In addition being reasonable can also help to ensure that one is able to detect any irritation among the listener when delivering the idea.
What are fallacies?
Fallacies mainly refer to the mistake in the reasoning. This therefore implies that fallacies are arguments that which uses bad reasoning. There are two broad categories of the fallacies, the formal and the informal fallacies. The formal fallacies refer to the defect in the argument that can be indentified through careful looking at the logical structure of the argument. On the other hand the informal argument refers to the defect in the argument that can be indentified only through careful analysis of the fact presented in the arguments. Studying fallacies is important since it helps one to spot poor reasoning and be able to correct such type of reasoning. In addition studying of the fallacies helps in establishing the rules of correct reasoning. Most importantly the study of fallacies helps in one to avoid them in their reasoning and therefore ensure that they provide only facts when delivering ideas.
How are fallacies used in written, oral, and visual arguments?
The fallacies are in written, oral and visual arguments in several ways. In the visual argument, the fallacies refer to the concept that one witnessed the event and therefore uses that as a tool for persuasion. However one needs to evaluate claims and weighing the evidence presented in support of the claim. In oral arguments a person may present a weak analogy of the claim in this case an individual draws conclusion through comparing various events presented (Gambrill, 2012). However, careful analysis of the weak analogy it is evident that such arguments are not correct since the two event presented do not literally connect to each other. In addition in the oral argument an individual may use the slippery slope to present his or her argument. In this case, the arguer usually claims that certain sort of chain reaction usually ends up in a certain dire consequence. However careful analysis of such arguments it is evident that there is no enough evidence to support such claims.
What might you do to avoid fallacies in your thinking?
In order to avoid fallacies in the reasoning one first need to keep the cause and effect separate. This can help to distinguish that just because something happens it does not mean that the first thing causes the second thing. Another important ways of avoid the fallacy in thinking is to avoid jumping into a conclusion which can in turn help to avoid the hasty generalization (Damer, 2009). Moreover, it is also important for one to avoid introducing the red herring. In this case one needs to avoid introducing irrelevant lines in the argument. In addition one also needs to avoid drawing false analogy of two things, which might not even be related. During argument it is also important for one to focus on the opponent position and not the character of the individual. This is because the character of an individual is irrelevant to the argument.
References
Damer, T. E. (2009). Attacking faulty reasoning: A practical guide to fallacy-free arguments. Australia: Wadsworth/Cengage Laerning.
Gambrill, E. (2012). Critical Thinking in Clinical Practice: Improving the Quality of Judgments and Decisions. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.
