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Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide.

Print Price: $149.99

Format:
Paperback
480 pp.
38 photos; 83 figures; 2 tables, 7" x 9"

ISBN-13:
9780195445756

Copyright Year:
2013

Imprint: OUP Canada


Good Reasoning Matters!

A Constructive Approach to Critical Thinking, Fifth Edition

Leo A. Groarke and Christopher W. Tindale



Now in its fifth edition, Good Reasoning Matters! is a practical guide to recognizing, evaluating, and constructing arguments. Combining straightforward instruction with abundant exercises and examples, this innovative introduction to argument schemes and rhetorical techniques will help students learn to think critically both within and beyond the classroom.

Readership : Good Reasoning Matters!: A Constructive Approach to Critical Thinking, fifth edition, is a core text for first- and second-year university students studying critical thinking, critical reasoning, and informal and practical logic.

Reviews

  • "The clear presentation of concepts is a strength of the text. There's ample explanation of core ideas as well as good motivation for why they matter."
    -- Adam Rawlings, Trent University

  • "The writing style is very engaging and clear."
    -- Megan Delehanty, University of Calgary

  • "The concepts and skills are generally accessible, with good use of examples and illustrations in developing the topics."
    -- Ahmad Rahmanian, University of New Brunswick

1. Making Room for an Argument
Why Make Room for an Argument?
Defining Argument
Arguers and Systems of Belief
Audiences
Opponents and Proponents
2. Bias: Reading Between the Lines
Bias
Detecting Illegitimate Biases
Difficult Cases
3. Arguments, Weak and Strong
Burden of Proof
Strong Arguments
Logical Consequence: Deductive and Inductive Validity
Contextual Relevance
Schemes and Counter-Schemes
4. Dressing Arguments
Simple and Extended Arguments
Inference Indicators: Distinguishing Arguments and Non-Arguments
Arguments without Indicator Words
Arguments and Explanations
Argument Narratives
5. Argument Diagrams
Argument Diagrams: Simple Arguments
Diagramming Extended Arguments
Linked and Convergent Premises
Supplemented Diagram
Diagrammng Your Own Arguments
6. Hidden Argument Components
Speech Acts and the Principles of Communication
Hidden Conclusions
Hidden Premises
Non-Verbal Elements in Argument: Flags and Demonstrations
Symbols and Metaphors
A Note on Argument Construction
7. Definitions: Saying What You Mean
Using Words Precisely
Vagueness and Ambiguity
Formulating Definitions
Rules for Good Definitions
Expressing Your Intended Meaning
8. Weighing Evidence
Acceptable, Unacceptable, or Questionable?
Conditions of Acceptability
Conditions of Unacceptability
Internal Relevance
Sufficiency
Applying the Criteria
9. Looking for the Facts
Generalizations
Polling
General Causal Reasoning
10. More Empirical Schemes and the Reasons of Science
Particular Causal Reasoning
Arguments from Ignorance
Scientific Reasoning
11. Schemes of Value
Slippery-Slope Arguments
Arguments from Analogy
Appeals to Precedent
Two-Wrongs Reasoning
12. Ethotic Schemes
Pro Homine
Ad Populum Arguments
Arguments from Authority
Ad Hominem
Arguments Against Authority
Appeal to Eyewitness Testimony
Guilt (and Honour) by Association
Other Cases
13. Essaying an Argument
The Good Evaluative Critique
The Good Argumentative Essay
A Student's Paper
Conclusion
Appendix A: Syllogisms: Classifying Arguments
Categorical Statements
Immediate Inferences
Categorical Syllogisms
Venn Diagrams
Appendix B: Propositional Logic I
Simple and Complex Propositions
Disjunctions and Conditionals
Translation
Propositional Schemes and Proofs
Appendix C: Propositional Logic II
Conditional Proofs
Reductio ad Absurdum
Dilemmas
De Morgan's Laws
Summary: Rules of Inference

Instructor's Manual
For each chapter:
- Chapter Summary
- Chapter Overview
- 5-10 questions for class discussion
- 5-10 additional readings and online sources
- 5-10 additional exercises with links to online articles
- Answers to exercises in the book
- Alternative sample answers to essays in the book
PowerPoint Slides
For each chapter:
- 20-25 slides
Test Bank
For each chapter:
- 15-20 multiple-choice questions
- 15-20 true-or-false questions
- 5-10 short answer questions
- Answers with page numbers
Clicker questions (NEW!)
For each chapter:
- 10-15 multiple-choice questions
Student Study Guide
For each chapter:
- 2-3 exercises with 15-25 multiple-choice questions per exercise
- 1 self-grading quiz with 10-15 questions
- 1 main review question
- Answers to exercises in the book
E-Book (ISBN 9780199000470)

Leo A. Groarke is the president and vice-chancellor of Trent University. His research interests include the history of ideas, social and political philosophy, informal logic, and argumentation theory. He has published numerous books, chapters, and journal articles in these and other areas.

Christopher W. Tindale is professor of philosophy at the University of Windsor. His research interests include argumentation theory, ethics, and ancient philosophy. He has published numerous book chapters and extensively in journals and is the author of Fallacies and Argument Appraisal (2007) and Rhetorical Argumentation (2004). He is co-editor of the journal Informal Logic.

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Special Features

  • Focuses on identifying the components of a good argument, rather than taking the traditional "spot the fallacies" approach, offering students a positive and practical guide to constructing sound arguments.
  • Verbal and non-verbal examples drawn from a range of sources, including social media sites, topical news items, cultural images, and advertising encourage students to consider different perspectives and respond effectively to often confusing and contradictory messages.
  • Analysis of visual argumentation -- a significant aspect of critical thinking in the twenty-first century -- ensures students are receiving the most relevant introduction available.
  • 100% Canadian -- this essential introduction to critical thinking has been written especially for use in Canadian classrooms.
New to this Edition
  • Hundreds of new contemporary exercises and examples make lessons highly relatable to students, while new classical examples challenge them to engage with less familiar rhetorical styles and perspectives.
  • Thoroughly updated and revised, making this edition the most current, student-friendly introduction to critical reasoning available.
  • Chapter outlines and summaries, as well as an extensive glossary of terms, reinforce key points and help students prepare for tests and exams.
  • An eye-catching two-colour design increases visual appeal and enhances readability.
  • Formal logic coverage has been retained in three appendices to better reflect how most critical thinking courses are now structured.
  • A fully updated ancillaries package, with an expanded Instructor's Manual, an updated Test Bank, new classroom clicker questions, and a Student Study Guide packed full of additional exercises and quizzes.