INSTRUCTIONS: Please choose one of the following questions and post an answer/response by Thursday 11:59pm ET. Also please make sure to respond to at least two posts of your classmates and/or the instructor by Sunday 11:59pm ET. To earn full credit for this discussion assignment you need to make three substantive posts (see Discussion Guidelines under Course Home).  Make sure to include references to the course materials in your responses.
 

(1) Consider an argument that you recently had with a friend, co-worker, supervisor, family member or someone else.  Identify the fundamental issue of the argument and then present the argument in the form of deductive logical argument, making sure to clearly identify the premises and conclusion.  Is this argument a valid argument?  Is the argument sound?  Why or why not?

(2) Many people have strong opinions about ideas that they believe to be true.  It certainly is important to stand up for true beliefs; however, it also can be helpful for critical thinkers to consider perspectives that are different from their own beliefs.  What are some of the advantages of taking into consideration an opposing viewpoint?  Why is it important for critical thinkers to take time to understand opposing perspectives?

(3) Many people spend a lot of time thinking about various issues throughout the day.  What is the difference between critical thinking and other types of thinking?  Provide an example of situation where you demonstrated good critical thinking in your own life.  How does the study of critical thinking help us improve our analytical reasoning abilities and decision-making skills?