Critical Thinking in Science

The Science of Critical Thinking

• Critical thinking is the process of analyzing, evaluating, and reasoning logically to make informed decisions.
• It includes questioning assumptions, examining evidence, identifying biases, and using structured reasoning.

Learning Objectives

• Students will trace the historical development of the scientific method.
• Students will distinguish between science and pseudoscience using specific criteria.
• Students will identify and analyze common logical fallacies in scientific contexts.
• Students will apply critical thinking tools to evaluate scientific claims.

Table of Contents

• The Evolution of Scientific Thinking: Critical Thinking & Scientific Method
• Understanding Pseudoscience: Distinguishing Science from Non-Science
• Logical Fallacies in Scientific Context: Understanding and Identifying Flaws
• Conclusion and Key Takeaways

The Evolution of Scientific Thinking

• The scientific method evolved over centuries through intellectual development, debate, and refinement.
• Early Greek thinkers (Thales, Aristotle, Democritus) laid the groundwork for scientific thinking by emphasizing observation and reasoning.
• The Aristotelian method of investigation, observation, classification, and teleological explanations were foundational, though without experimental verification.
• Islamic scholars during the Middle Ages, like Alhazen (Ibn al-Haytham) and Al-Razi, made crucial contributions to scientific methodology by emphasizing empirical evidence, systematic experimentation, and mathematical modeling.
• The modern scientific revolution (16th-17th centuries) saw significant shifts in scientific thinking with figures like Francis Bacon, Galileo, and Isaac Newton.
• Francis Bacon's empiricism emphasized inductive reasoning, systematic observation, and the elimination of biases.
• Galileo's mathematical approach combined mathematics with experimental observation, idealized experiments, and quantitative measurements.
• Newton's synthesis combined mathematical analysis with experimental verification, leading to universal laws of motion and gravity.

Logical Fallacies in Scientific Contexts

• Logical fallacies are errors in reasoning that undermine the validity of scientific arguments.
• Common fallacies in science include:
  • Straw man fallacy: Misrepresenting an argument to make it easier to attack.
  • Appeal to authority: Accepting something as true simply because an authority figure says so.
  • Mistaking correlation for causation: Assuming that because two things occur together, one causes the other.
  • Confirmation bias: Favoring evidence that supports pre-existing beliefs while ignoring contradictory evidence.
  • Ad hominem: Attacking the person making a claim rather than the claim itself.
  • Hasty generalization: Drawing a conclusion based on limited or insufficient evidence.
  • Appeal to emotion: Manipulating emotions rather than presenting rational evidence.
  • Cherry-picking: Selecting only evidence that supports a claim while ignoring contradictory data.
  • Argument from ignorance: Claiming something is true because it hasn't been proven false (or vice versa).

Conclusion and Key Takeaways

• Critical thinking is crucial for evaluating scientific claims.
• Understanding the evolution of scientific thinking, including its historical context, is important to appreciate the foundations of today's scientific methodology.
• Logic plays a vital role in scientific reasoning. Avoiding logical fallacies is essential for conducting rigorous and unbiased scientific work.
• Emphasize the importance of skepticism, objectivity, empirical evidence, falsifiability, and logical reasoning.

Science vs. Pseudoscience

• Science is characterized by: falsifiability, empirical testing, peer review, and self-correction
• Pseudoscience usually lacks these characteristics. It often shows resistance to testing, a lack of self-correction, and appeals to authority instead of evidence.

Additional Resources

• The provided slides list relevant books as additional resources for further study.

Remember

• Critical thinking in science is about understanding how to ask the right questions and evaluate evidence. It goes beyond simply knowing facts.