Transcript Critical Thinking: Let’s Get Critical

The unexamined life is not worth living- Socrates
September 9th
1:00 to 3:00
Writing Center
CRITICAL THINKING: LET’S
GET CRITICAL
What is critical thinking?
 Looking at all sides of an issue with an open
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mind
Weighing the evidence
Being aware of persuasive techniques
Understanding diverse cultures and systems
Ability to think outside the box
Rhetoric
 Rhetoric is the ability to argue well by
appealing to the audience’s emotional,
logical, and ethical sensibilities.
 People who use rhetoric will choose their
words very carefully for the desired impact on
the reader or audience.
 Consider the following terms….
Rhetorical Terminology
 “Freedom fighter” vs. “Terrorist”
 “Department of Defense” vs. “Department of
War”
 “Mentally retarded” vs. “Mentally challenged”
Political Rhetoric
Critical Thinking on Media
“Whoever has access to the media controls the
production and distribution of images, the
composing of arguments and the
endorsement of conventional truths.” (Critical
Teaching and the Idea of Literacy)
Propaganda
Advertisement
Media and Children
Divergent Thinking
 Working with open-ended problems
 What dangers do we face if we do not think
critically about the world around us?