Straw-man fallacies re-frame strong positions as weak ones, while motte-and-bailey fallacies re-frame weak positions as a strong ones. In both cases, you can respond by bringing the discussion back to what the original position said.
Let’s dive into the science of persuasion to see how propaganda and fallacies can sound so convincing. Most theories of persuasion look at two channels the brain uses to make decisions: one involves careful, logical reasoning, and the other involves more automatic, intuitive thinking. By taking a...
Our minds really do play tricks on us, thanks to faulty thinking patterns called cognitive biases. Propaganda often exploits these biases to bypass our logical decision-making. However, research shows that students who avoid cognitive biases are better critical thinkers. Let’s see some examples o...
Could belief in God be a psychological fluke? A popular claim is that religious beliefs resulted from the brain’s tendency to interpret effects (like sudden noises) as being caused by intentional beings (like burglars). Let’s see how to answer this argument with the 7 Checks of Critical Thinking.
