1. One paragraph summary of the key idea summarizing the major idea of the section.
The key idea of this section is knowledge, and more specifically, reasoning. Reasoning is a certain knid of knowledge, that unlike the other 2 types, requires you to think to get to. Reasooning is the power to think in such a way that we proceed from what we know to what we do not yet know. If we want to be reason people, we must think rationally. Reason relies on premises which we then use to find a conclusion. There are two major kinds of reasoning, induction and deduction. Deduction is the power to draw a conclusion from 2 premises, while induction is making universal generalizations about something based on a limited number of experiences of that thing. Reasoning is a complex field which is vital to what makes humans humans.
2. List and explain three of the most important ideas you want to remember from this week. The first key idea that I have chosen is the 5 common thinking errors. THe first thinking error is a non sequitor, which means does not follow. This means making an incorrect conclusion based on true premises. The second example is basing your conclusion on vague or false premises. This is making conclusions on statements that are not correct. The third example is an Ad Hominemm, which translates to against the man. This means attacking the person presenting the ideas, not the ideas themselve. The fourth example is Begging the Question. THis means assuming that the statement you have put forth is true to prove your statement. The final example is a red herring, which is a statement designed to mislead others off of what the actual argument is.
The second idea I want to remember is the three kinds of knowledge. They are experiential knowledge, knowledge from authority, and reasoning. Experiental knowledge refers to that you have had the thing happen to you, so you know from personal experience that it is true. Knowledge from authority means that you have heard the knowledge from a trusted source, so you can assume it is most likely true. Reason is a way that humans use what they know to determine things that are unknown. Reasoning relies on the other two types of knowledge.
The third idea that I want to remember is the five steps to critical thinking. The first step is knowing the facts, which means to understand the premises which you are coming to your conclusion by. The second step is to Remember the Principle of Contradiction which is basically that something cannot be and be at the same time. The third step is to Define Your Terms. This means to not leave things vauge and unclear, but instead specify specifically what you mean. The fourth step is to Be Intellectually Humble. This means that you have to realize that no matter how smart that you are, there is still a lot to learn. The fifth and final step is to Look for Different Perspectives, which means to make sure to try to understand and see issues from different perspectivesm, even if they are ideologically opposed to your own.
