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fandomhigh2009-10-22 04:15 am
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Logic, Reason and Critical Thinking, Class 7: Period 4, Thursday, October 22
Miss Elizabeth Bennet seemed in especially high spirits today, as she entered the classroom just before the bell.
"Good afternoon," she said warmly. "I trust all of you enjoyed our break, whether you were vacationing in the mountains or simply relishing the time to yourselves. As was noted previously, we spent a great deal of time in the first half of the semester discussing flaws in logical reasoning. In the second half, I hope to focus more on critical thinking: to wit, what it is that we should be doing, more than what we should not.
"Today's lesson focuses on sources - how we use them, and how to place them in the proper context. Source texts are vital, in learning new information; anything we do not, or can not, observe for ourselves, we must gather from other materials. But this does not mean that those sources are necessarily reliable.
"It is generally accepted that some sources are biased, and clever researchers will seek out supposedly 'neutral' texts such as encyclopedias. The problem is that some people will mistakenly assume that one may simply flip open an encyclopedia and accept whatever it states as the absolute last word, without bothering to look further.
"For example, let us say that I asked all of you to find Shakespeare's birthday, for our next class. I would ask each of you to check one, and only one source text, of a neutral background such as an encyclopedia or dictionary. If you do not find the information requested, you may look in another, but continuing to look once you have an answer is forbidden.
"Some of you would return and inform me that the great playwright was born on April 23, 1564; some might have 'approximate' or 'assumed' afterwards, but others would not. Others would say, instead, that his date of birth is unknown. Some students may note that we know his baptism was on April 26th, and he was probably born a few days prior. A few of you would simply have April 1564. The simple fact is, we do not know the exact date of Shakespeare's birth, with any certainty. His baptism was publicly recorded, but his birth was not. Many source texts note this ambiguity, to varying degrees. Others do not.
"The manner in which you stated your answer might also vary, depending on how your text phrased the point. Consider these possibilities:
"Several of these imply that April 23 is likely the correct date; others hint strongly that the date is more likely wrong than right. None of these statements are in themselves inflammatory, but nevertheless, they all paint a slightly different picture of the matter at hand. This is because source texts are ultimately written by people, and people unwittingly add their own biases and beliefs to their words.
"All sources have bias. Moreover, sources can be mistaken, misprinted, or altogether wrong. Even simple factual matters such as a birthdate can be subject to heavy dispute. No source is infallible. Always, always consider the sources from which you gather information.
"Now that we know to watch for bias, even in reputable sources, how should we account for it? That will be today's discussion topic."
"Good afternoon," she said warmly. "I trust all of you enjoyed our break, whether you were vacationing in the mountains or simply relishing the time to yourselves. As was noted previously, we spent a great deal of time in the first half of the semester discussing flaws in logical reasoning. In the second half, I hope to focus more on critical thinking: to wit, what it is that we should be doing, more than what we should not.
"Today's lesson focuses on sources - how we use them, and how to place them in the proper context. Source texts are vital, in learning new information; anything we do not, or can not, observe for ourselves, we must gather from other materials. But this does not mean that those sources are necessarily reliable.
"It is generally accepted that some sources are biased, and clever researchers will seek out supposedly 'neutral' texts such as encyclopedias. The problem is that some people will mistakenly assume that one may simply flip open an encyclopedia and accept whatever it states as the absolute last word, without bothering to look further.
"For example, let us say that I asked all of you to find Shakespeare's birthday, for our next class. I would ask each of you to check one, and only one source text, of a neutral background such as an encyclopedia or dictionary. If you do not find the information requested, you may look in another, but continuing to look once you have an answer is forbidden.
"Some of you would return and inform me that the great playwright was born on April 23, 1564; some might have 'approximate' or 'assumed' afterwards, but others would not. Others would say, instead, that his date of birth is unknown. Some students may note that we know his baptism was on April 26th, and he was probably born a few days prior. A few of you would simply have April 1564. The simple fact is, we do not know the exact date of Shakespeare's birth, with any certainty. His baptism was publicly recorded, but his birth was not. Many source texts note this ambiguity, to varying degrees. Others do not.
"The manner in which you stated your answer might also vary, depending on how your text phrased the point. Consider these possibilities:
1) William Shakespeare is widely believed to have been born April 23, 1564.
2) Some sources claim that William Shakespeare was born April 23, 1564.
3) There is no historical evidence proving that William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564.
4) William Shakespeare was born April 23, 1564 (approximate).
5) William Shakespeare was baptised on April 26, 1564; his exact date of birth is unknown.
"Several of these imply that April 23 is likely the correct date; others hint strongly that the date is more likely wrong than right. None of these statements are in themselves inflammatory, but nevertheless, they all paint a slightly different picture of the matter at hand. This is because source texts are ultimately written by people, and people unwittingly add their own biases and beliefs to their words.
"All sources have bias. Moreover, sources can be mistaken, misprinted, or altogether wrong. Even simple factual matters such as a birthdate can be subject to heavy dispute. No source is infallible. Always, always consider the sources from which you gather information.
"Now that we know to watch for bias, even in reputable sources, how should we account for it? That will be today's discussion topic."
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During the Lecture [LOG-7]
Discussion #1: Subtleties of Phrasings [LOG-7]
Discussion #2: Thinking Critically About Sources [LOG-7]
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Speak to Miss Bennet [LOG-7]
OOC [LOG-7]
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Re: Discussion #1: Subtleties of Phrasings [LOG-7]
"The choice on what words to use depends entirely on the context. If the date given is of central importance to the topic, then some evidence for and against should be given. In many cases giving an approximate would be satisfactory. Then of course, if the exact date is necessary for my argument I can chose whatever angle that suits my purpose."
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