Critical Thinking Essentials: Sharpen Your Mind for Better Decision-Making
Unlock the power of your mind with our engaging short course on critical thinking! Learn ways to to construct and recognise valid and strong arguments and how to spot and avoid logical fallacies, biases, assumptions, rhetoric, reasoning gaps, irrelevant premises, conspiracy thinking.
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Description
Unlock the power of your mind with our engaging short course on critical thinking! Learn ways to construct and recognise valid and strong arguments and how to spot and avoid logical fallacies, biases, assumptions, rhetoric, reasoning gaps, irrelevant premises, conspiracy thinking.
Designed for anyone eager to enhance their analytical skills, this course will guide you through the essential tools and techniques for effective reasoning and problem-solving.
In a world filled with information and diverse viewpoints, the ability to think critically is more important than ever. Through interactive activities, thought-provoking discussions, and real-world examples, you’ll learn how to evaluate arguments, identify biases, and make informed decisions. We’ll cover key concepts like logical reasoning, evidence evaluation, and creative thinking, all in a supportive and approachable environment.
By the end of this course, you'll be equipped with practical strategies to analyse situations more clearly and communicate your ideas confidently. Whether you're tackling personal challenges, academic pursuits, or professional projects, this course will empower you to think more deeply and make better choices.
Join us and start your journey toward clearer, more effective thinking.
Expected learning outcomes
- How to construct and recognise valid and strong arguments, analogical arguments and inferences to the best explanation
- How to spot and avoid logical fallacies, biases, assumptions, rhetoric, reasoning gaps, irrelevant premises, conspiracy thinking
Course outline
- Session 1: constructing arguments (elements of the argument)
- Session 2: constructing arguments (validity and truth), logical fallacies, heuristics and bias
- Session 3: fallacies continued
- Session 4: rhetoric (techniques of the art of persuasion, logic & emotions)
- Session 5: theories and inference to the best explanation
- Session 6: evaluating arguments
Who should attend?
Anyone who wants to sharpen their thinking skills and verbal reasoning capacities and to become more analytical and critical in their thinking.
About your tutor, Natasha
As a Philosophy graduate and a GTA at the University of Auckland I believe that critical thinking skills are of immense importance to our lives. By being better analytical thinkers, we become better decision makers, and by illumination others’ reasoning fallacies we avoid falling prey to them. Everyone needs these skills yet they are rarely if ever taught outside of the University setting.
