PHL 214 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Critical Thinking, Convenience Store, Egalitarianism
28 Jan 2016
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People are fallible, no cure for this. Need to: detect errors, restrain feelings that distort, be more objective. 2 categories of common barriers to critical thinking: occur because of how we think, occur because of what we think. Believing objectivity is impossible, and that we don"t really know anything. Common mistakes in thinking can doom science, lead to bias and error. Mistakes called idols of the mind thought people will commit errors then revere them as though false gods. From personality, experiences, etc: idols of the tribe. Assuming own biased perceptions = true reflection of objective world. Knowledge is found inside us without any reference to the real world: idols of the cave. Biases unique to each person: idols of the marketplace. Develop from imprecise and careless use of language. Unfit use/choice of words is obstruction to understanding: idols of the theatre. Have little/nothing to do with real world but are thought to be accurate.
