Use Critical Reasoning Skills to Evaluate Written Material
Recognize Stated or Implied Assumptions on which the Validity of an Argument Depends
Something is not necessarily true just because it is in print. Critical reasoning is thinking for yourself. To do that you must question the writer’s assumptions and decide for yourself if an effective argument has been made. Writers sometimes state their assumptions, but often they do not, so the reader has to determine them. You must decide for yourself if the strengths of the argument outweigh the weaknesses. Your ability to do this will depend on your ability to use the following five subskills effectively.
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