Textbook

Tyaglo, Oleksandr. Critical thinking: A textbook. – Kharkiv: “Osnovy” Publ. Group, 2008. – 189 [3] p. (in Ukrainian)
Main goal of this book is to assist to learn to work with problem texts and to deliver own position to a concrete addressee effectively. Therefore it has interdisciplinary character firstly. Secondly it is a practical guide predominantly. Thirdly its subject field covers contemporary rational discourse: this field is not limited by the science but suppose naturally other spheres, for instance education, management, or practical jurisprudence.
The book is recommended by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine as a textbook for the university students.

CONTENTS¹

FOREWORD

CHAPTER 1. CRITCIAL THINKING
1.1. Introduction
1.1.1. Why we need to study logic and to master critical thinking skills?

Idea of critical thinking
Logic and critical thinking
Concept and sorts of fallacies

L1.1.1. Concept of formal logic
L1.1.2. Concept of informal logic
L1.1.3. Thinking and its language embodiment

Critical thinking and tolerance
The critical thinking process structure

Tests and exercises
1.2. Analysis of a problem reasoning
1.2.1. First critical question. What are the text’s issue and conclusion?
1.2.1.1. Concepts of issue and conclusion

How to find issue?
How to find conclusion?
Fallacious substitution of copula “issue – conclusion”

L1.2.1. Main logic principles
L1.2.2. Identity principle and its typical violations
L1.2.3. Consistency principle and its violation
L1.2.4. Excluded third principle and its violation
L1.2.5. Sufficient reasons principle and its typical violations
1.2.2. Second critical question. What reasons supports conclusion?
1.2.2.1. Concept of argument
1.2.2.2. How to find reasons?
1.2.3. Third critical question. What is the argument’s structure?
Tests and exercises
1.3. Understanding of reasoning
1.3.1. Nature of understanding
1.3.2. Fourth critical question. What words or phrases are not understandable?
1.3.2.1. Natural sources of lack of understanding of reasoning
1.3.2.2. Some tools to clarify words or phrases
L1.3.1. Value and sense of notion
L1.3.2. Relations between notions
L1.3.3. Division of notion and its typical violations
L1.3.4. Definition of notion and its typical violations
L1.3.5. Operations which substitute definition: description and characteristic
1.3.3. Fifth critical thinking. What are clear and hidden value assumptions?
1.3.4. Sixth critical thinking. What are clear and hidden descriptive assumptions?
1.3.5. Seventh critical thinking. What are conditions of argument acceptability?
1.3.6. Few simple recommendations in text composition
Tests and exercises
1.4.Evaluation of reasoning
1.4.1. Concept of reasoning evaluation
1.4.2. Eighth critical question. Is the issue correct?
L1.4.1. Concepts of questioning and answering
L1.4.2. Sorts of questions
L1.4.3. Conditions of correct questioning
L1.4.4. Reaction to question
L1.4.5. Question-traps and reactions to these ones
L1.4.6. Sorts of answers
L1.4.7. Incorrect answers
L1.4.8. Specificity of questioning and answering in sphere of jurisprudence
1.4.3. Ninth critical question. Is the conclusion correct?
1.4.4. Tenth critical thinking. Are the reasons good?
1.4.4.1. Facts
1.4.4.2. Statistical data
1.4.4.3. Laws
1.4.4.4. Axioms
1.4.4.5. Expert conclusions
1.4.5. Eleventh critical question. Is the reasoning construction correct?
L1.5.1. Sorts of inference
L1.5.2. Inference by analogy
L1.5.3. Inductive inference
L1.5.3.1. Enumerative induction
L1.5.3.2. Statistical generalization
L1.5.3.3. Eliminative induction
L1.5.3.4. Logic methods to identify cause-effect connection
L1.5.3.4.1. Method of similarity
L1.5.3.4.2. Method of dissimilarity
L1.5.3.4.3. Method of synchronic changes
L1.5.3.4.4. Method of remains
L1.5.4. Deductive inference
L1.5.4.1. Concept of deduction
L1.5.4.2. Simple categorical syllogism
L1.5.4.3. Incomplete syllogism
L1.5.4.4. Concept of prepositional logic and predicate logic
L1.5.4.5. Some practically significant formulas of prepositional logic
1.4.6. Twentieth critical question. Is argument strong?
Tests and exercises
1.5. Criticism of argued reasoning
1.5.1. Basis and essence of criticism
1.5.2. Algorithm of criticism
1.5.3. Thirteenth critical question. What fallacies are committed?
1.5.4. Fourteenth critical question. Is it possible to eliminate fallacies? Is yes, by what way?
Tests and exercises
CHAPTER 2. CONCEPT OF CREATIVE THINKING
2.1. Criticism and creativity – two sides of successful problem solving
2.2. Creative thinking in individual problem solving
2.3. Creativity in collective problem solving
Tests and exercises
CHAPTER 3. BASIC COMPOSITION
3.1. Prevalent genres of research papers
3.1.1. Goal of paper’s abstract and main demands to the abstract composition
3.1.2. Goal of report theses and of report itself, main demands to their composition
3..1.3. Goal of article and main demands to article composition
3.2. How to select a theme for Master’s degree work
3.3. Some specificities of national dissertation process
Tests and exercises
SUPPLEMENT. Short Syllabus in Academic Discipline “Critical Thinking and Basic Composition”.
LIST OF LITERATURE

¹ It is possible to download the textbook foreword, chapters and supplement (in Ukrainian).