Deck 2: Obstacles to Critical Thinking

Question 1

The twentieth-century philosopher Bertrand Russell claimed that the passionate holding of an opinion is a sure sign of

A) critical thinking.
B) deference to the opinions of others.
C) a false belief.
D) a lack of reasons to support the opinion.

Answer 1

a lack of reasons to support the opinion.

Question 2

According to Lawrence Blum, inferiorization and antipathy are the two factors that define

A) prejudice.
B) stereotyping.
C) racism.
D) tribalism.

Answer 2

racism.

Question 3

When we seek out and use only evidence that supports our existing beliefs, we are guilty of

A) self-centered thinking.
B) stereotyping.
C) groupthink.
D) confirmation bias.

Answer 3

confirmation bias.

Question 4

When we rely on evidence not because it's trustworthy but because it's memorable or striking, we fall prey to

A) the availability error.
B) the illusion-of-truth effect.
C) the subjectivist fallacy.
D) the mere exposure effect.

Question 5

One implication of social relativism is that the beliefs of a society

A) cannot be true.
B) cannot be changed.
C) cannot be mistaken.
D) can be improved.

Question 6

The __________ effect is the phenomenon in which the repeated presentation of words or images induces a favorable feeling toward them even in the absence of good reasons or evidence.

A) false consensus
B) illusion-of-truth
C) mere exposure
D) Dunning-Kruger

Question 7

Accepting a claim solely because it furthers your interests is

A) sometimes reasonable.
B) contrary to principles of critical thinking.
C) consistent with principles of critical thinking.
D) a shortcut to reliable conclusions.

Question 8

In order to count as knowledge, a claim must be

A) certain.
B) beyond all reasonable doubt.
C) backed by logically conclusive reasons.
D) beyond all possible doubt.

Question 9

Prejudice is a negative or adverse belief about others based on

A) false consensus.
B) critical reasoning.
C) insufficient reasons.
D) motivated reasoning.

Question 10

Subjective relativism implies that individual persons are

A) often wrong.
B) intolerant.
C) guilty of self-centered thinking.
D) infallible.

Question 11

A central criticism of subjective relativism is that it

A) promotes intolerance.
B) is self-defeating.
C) is accepted only by intellectuals.
D) is a form of self-centered thinking.

Question 12

According to the text, the only way to counter the influence of groupthink is to

A) watch out when things get personal.
B) be alert to the ways critical thinking can be undermined.
C) proportion your belief to the strength of reasons.
D) ensure that nothing has been left out.

Question 13

According to __________ we know much less than we think we do or nothing at all.

A) social relativists
B) philosophical skeptics
C) critical thinkers
D) subjective relativists

Question 14

One problem with social relativism is that it undermines the notion that the beliefs of different societies are all equal.

Question 15

According to critics of subjective relativism, if the claim "All truth is relative" is objectively true, then it is objectively false.

Question 16

According to the analysis of Lawrence Blum, racism is defined as the belief that races exist and are differentiated by significant moral, intellectual, or cultural characteristics.

Question 17

In its most general sense, evidence is something that guarantees the truth of a statement.

Question 18

From the perspective of critical thinking, there is nothing inherently wrong with accepting a claim that furthers your own interests.

Question 19

Emotional protestations and rejections of relevant evidence often signal self-interested thinking.

Question 20

A common flaw in reasoning is the failure to take relative truth into account.

Question 21

The only available remedy for our tendency to resist contrary evidence is to make a conscious effort to look for supporting evidence.

Question 22

Someone who believes that Honda Civics are unsafe cars after seeing one involved in a traffic accident, has fallen prey to the mere exposure effect.

Question 23

Group thinking can generate narrow-mindedness, resistance to change, and stereotyping.

Question 24

According to recent research, the backfire effect is a far weaker phenomenon than was previously supposed.

Question 25

There are some things about ourselves that are relative because they are one way for us and another way for someone else.

Question 26

Everyone has a worldview.

Question 27

Emotions have no place in clear critical thinking.

Question 28

To help avoid motivated reasoning, we should be reasonably skeptical of all sources, especially of those that support our beliefs.

Question 29

Some philosophers are skeptics.

Question 30

If knowledge requires certainty, then there is very little we can know.

Question 31

According to the most plausible criterion for knowledge, claims must be beyond all possible doubt in order to count as knowledge.

Question 32

The Dunning-Kruger effect is made worse by the tendency of many to believe that they are experts about something simply because they know a little about the subject.

Question 33

The popularity of a belief is always a good indicator of its truth.

Question 34

What is self-centered thinking and how can we identify and overcome its effects?

Question 35

Do you agree that it is immoral to believe claims without good evidence? Why or why not?

Question 36

How does Lawrence Blum define racism and why does he think the term is sometimes misapplied?

Question 37

Provide a specific example of stereotyping in society or politics and explain how it undermines critical thinking.

Question 38

What kinds of obstacles to critical thinking can be created by our membership in groups? Have you experienced any of these obstacles in your own life?

Question 39

Describe a real-world example of motivated reasoning and explain what is problematic about it from the perspective of critical thinking.

Question 40

What are some of the most prevalent types of cognitive biases found on social media? Provide a concrete example of each type.

Question 41

What is a worldview? What are some central elements of your worldview?

Question 42

What are some of the implausible implications of subjective relativism?

Question 43

Are you a social relativist? Why or why not?