Critical Thinking: The Basics: Edition 2

Topics covered include:

• The relationship between critical thinking, emotions, and the psychology of persuasion
• The role of character dispositions such as open-mindedness, courage, and self-knowledge
• Argument identification and reconstruction
• Fallacies and argument evaluation.

This second edition has been revised and updated throughout, and includes an additional chapter on the relationship between critical thinking and emotions. There are also new sections on concepts such as the ‘experiential mind’ and ‘need for cognitive closure’, and contemporary examples drawn from issues including conspiracy theories, the pandemic, and misuses of social media.

With updated and expanded discussion questions/exercises and suggestions for further reading at the end of each main chapter, this book is an essential read for students approaching the field of critical thinking for the first time, and for the general reader wanting to improving their thinking skills and decision-making abilities.