8.1: The Critical Thinker’s Approach

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Jim Marteney
Los Angeles Valley College via ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative (OERI)

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Ever get tired or frustrated by listening to “experts” who disagree on the same subject. Take for example drinking wine and how it affects our health.

Drinking just a small glass of wine a day can more than double the risk of cancer, a study claims. …Dominique Maraninchi, INCA's president, said: 'Small daily doses of alcohol are the most harmful. There is no amount, however small, which is good for you.'

---Jenny Hope, Daily Mail ¹

Thanks to its alcohol content and non-alcoholic phytochemicals (natural occurring plant compounds), wine has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, certain cancers and slow the progression of neurological degenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease.

--Joy Bauer, TODAY contributor ²

This is just one example where “experts” lack of agreement can be confusing. This is nothing new. To examine the roots of how we evaluate arguments, we need to make our first stop, Ancient Greece. For the first time, instead of a God King, a group of citizens debated to govern themselves. They needed to better understand how to effectively argue and distinguish between and effective an ineffective argument.

Reference

Jenny Hope, "Drinking just one glass of wine a day can INCREASE risk of cancer by 168%, say the French!" 2009, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ay-French.html (accessed November 6, 2019)
Joy Bauer, "Is Wine Good for You?", 2008, https://www.today.com/health/wine-good-you-2D80555144, (accessed November 6, 2019)