Colleagues, I am very sympathetic to Bob’s underlying concern regarding what gets taught in the name of critical thinking and in critical thinking courses. I think that taking this on is a worthwhile project for AILACT. Bob has suggested tackling the issue by beginning with the definition/ concept of argument and then, from that (I assume), inferring what should be taught. I would suggest that a more productive approach might be to begin with what we expect/ would like students to understand, be able to do etc. as a result of critical thinking instruction. It’s worth noting that some ways in which the underlying goal could be characterized may not even have argument as their central concept (e.g., to be able to engage in “reasonable, reflective thinking aimed at deciding what to believe or do;” to have the capabilities and habits of mind necessary in order to reach reasoned judgments, etc.)). (Though certainly the issue of how we conceive of argument and its role(s) will play a role in determining what knowledge, skills, habits of mind etc. we decide are necessary in order to meet the goals.) Cheers, Sharon Dr. Sharon Bailin Professor Emeritus Faculty of Education Simon Fraser University mailing address: 2568 West 1st Avenue Vancouver, B.C. V6K 1G7 Ph: 604-222-0839 Fax: 604-222-0839 e-mail: [log in to unmask] > On Jun 15, 2017, at 9:47 AM, ennis, robert h <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > Member of AILACT, > > I appreciate Daryl Close’s reminding us of my suggestion to Jim Freeman that we see whether the members of AILACT support a definition of ‘argument’ that emphasizes justification. However, at that point I did not give the background for my suggestion. > > I feel that there is some pressure from various sources these days to expand the meaning or province of 'critical thinking’ to include engaging in persuasion, debate, and other causal processes. It would be interesting and significant to learn how this pressure is being received by the members of AILACT. > > Over the past century critical thinking has become more popular with a first sudden increase around 1980 and another stronger one developing recently. For example Former US President Obama in his inaugural address early in 2014 listed critical thinking as one of the six goals of education. And on June 6, 2017, one of the USA’s two leading national newspapers, “The Wall Street Journal”, published a front page article claiming that “at some of the most prestigious flagship universities the average graduate shows little or no improvement in critical thinking over four years.” Complaints can be made about the bases of this conclusion, but what strikes me is the importance the article attaches to critical thinking. Critical thinking is now widely regarded highly, as one can see from these and many more such recent examples. > > Someone interested in promoting the causal processes I mentioned above might well find it attractive to latch onto critical thinking’s current popularity. > > 'Argument’, defined as an attempt to justify, is a key feature of critical thinking. I believe that this has been the case for the many years in which I have been working in the area. And defining ‘argument' as an attempt to persuade has not been a key feature of critical thinking. However, one might want to make it a key feature of this very popular area, critical thinking, by somehow incorporating the “persuade” definition of ‘argument.’ Different concepts of argument are in operation here. The point of my proposed survey was to find out how the members of AILACT feel about having justification be the primary concern of critical thinking. I felt that asking for members’ feelings about the justification sense of argument would be a good way to learn their position. > > Thus this discussion, which some have belittled, and at which others have sneered, though it may have seemed to be just quibbling over words, has an important underlying issue. I felt the definition-of-argument approach to be the easiest way to frame the issue. > > Bob Ennis > > > >> On Jun 15, 2017, at 9:41 AM, Ralph Johnson <[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote: >> >> Thanks for this, Daryl. >> >> Ralph >> >> Dr. Ralph H.Johnson, FRSC >> Professor Emeritus >> Department of Philosophy >> University of Windsor >> Windsor, ON N9B3P4 >> CANADA >> From: AILACT DISCUSSION LIST <[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>> on behalf of Daryl Close <[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>> >> Sent: June 15, 2017 9:19:10 AM >> To: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> >> Subject: Re: define argument >> >> Ralph, >> >> Check out the hyperlink in my post. I provide several definitions in that hand-out. 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