ARQ chapter 12: “What Reasonable Conclusions Are Possible?”:
- Dichotomous thinking is a mindset in which there are only two answers to a question (i.e., yes or no, right or wrong, etc.). This creates a black and white way of thinking, eliminating any grey areas. This essentially eliminates critical thinking, because many problems have multiple (more than two) potential conclusions. An example would be finding an answer for the following question: “Should we have real-IDs?” There can be more than one answer because there are different reasons given for why there should be or should not be real IDs. Therefore, there are many different conclusions that can be given for the answer. Many simply say “yes” or “no” because they believe there is only two plausible answers.
- Dichotomous thinking is dangerous because it often limits the number of possible conclusions for any given question. It eliminates any possible critical thinking. This also can lead to either-or fallacy. Grey thinking and if-clauses allow a critical thinker to find other possible conclusions rather than only two, essentially expanding the possibilities.
Self Reflection
- My thinking has expanded, and I have become more thoughtful throughout the duration of this course. I learned new critical thinking skills, such as checking for the accuracy of facts, being cautious of statistics, and being aware of other possible conclusions. I also learned about fallacies and the effect they can have when building or evaluating an argument.
- I have learned new skills and expanded old skills, such as researching. Now I know how to find more reliable and scholarly sources. I gained skills in formulating and evaluating strong arguments. I found it interesting when we learned about fallacies because I did not realize there were so many different types. I also realized how often I use fallacies in my everyday life when have a discussion with others.
- I will apply these skills and new knowledge to my other courses when writing research papers and formulating arguments. I will also use these skills when reading news articles, recognizing some information could be omitted and there are alternative sides of a story, or other conclusions.