Critical Thinking Academy: Boost Awareness & Intelligence
What you'll learn
- Become aware of logical fallacies when others attempt to use them instead of rigorous facts to argue a position.
- Recognize and overcome our own biases.
- Choose the right tools for investigation.
- See past the false implication.
- Recognize the logical bait and switch.
- Overcome the false generality.
- Deconstruct blame tactics when they're used against us.
- Unravel wrongly-defined words.
- Recognize the guilt trip technique when it's being played on us.
- Become immune to the emotional pitch.
Requirements
- You should have at least an intermediate grasp of English language. There are no other requirements for taking this course.
- We do ask that you remain open-minded when learning these skills. Such open-mindedness is, after all, a vital part of critical thinking.
Description
Easily learn the basics of critical thinking.
Every human needs these skills to keep from being cheated or fooled. Learn how to detect logical fallacies used by the best politicians and salesmen.
Course includes several handouts, including several free books, plus the Critical Thinking Checklist. Multiple examples are given of logical fallacies or other failures in critical thinking, so that you will know how to respond. This course can easily be finished in one day with an hour of video and over a hundred pages of handouts.
The course is divided into modules. The first introduces the basics of critical thinking and includes examples. Each subsequent module presents a topic and claims that have been made about that subject. Video lessons take those claims apart, piece by piece, and analyzes them using critical thinking.
Take this course to sharpen your mind for everything you do in life. Critical thinking skills are essential with any of life's important decisions.
Managing a business,
Voting,
Purchases,
Health,
Finances,
Marriage,
Lifestyle choices, and
Much, much more...
EXAMPLE OF CRITICAL THINKING:
One of the reviews for this course provides us with a perfect example of logical fallacies in use to argue against taking the course. Let’s examine this student’s comments to see how they stack up when put under the examination of critical thinking.
The student remarked, “It is a pretense to position critical thinking fundamentals to deliver conspiracy theories and climate change denial. I would suggest people google the instructor prior to taking the course.”
Pretense? No, there is no “false show,” here. This course and the discussions in it truly do analyze the arguments on the topics of climate change to achieve a more reasoned critical thinking. The second module (“Logical Fallacies”) adds to this by providing an in-depth look at how critical thinking can become derailed by fallacies like the ones used in the comment. Sadly, some use such attack fallacies to get people not to look at opposing facts. Critical Thinking is all about examining all sides of an issue, rather than ignoring them. Critical Thinking demands that we question everything, including our own beliefs.
The former student said, “...deliver conspiracy theories...” But what is a conspiracy? One of your free books provides evidence from numerous reputable sources that prove that conspiracies are, as the title says, “Dirt Ordinary.” This is no fantasy, or kooky topic. In fact, there are at least 489 new conspiracies starting every second, on average, every day, all year long and every year. Theories are called by scientists, “hypotheses,” and are used to explore the possible causes of observed, factual phenomena. A conspiracy is defined merely as a conversation between 2 or more people for the purpose of doing something unethical or illegal. Criminal selfishness is to the individual what conspiracy is to the group.
The use of the term, “denial,” is a pejorative, ad hominem attack, one of the logical fallacies about which you will learn more in the course.
The former student recommended that, “...people google the instructor prior to taking the course.” Knowledge is always a good thing, and I strongly concur with the former student’s recommendation, but with one very potent caveat: Don’t let anything you find out about any instructor dissuade you from investigating a topic more deeply. Facts are facts, no matter who says them. Judge the facts, not the personalities. Those who put on blinders will miss unique opportunities for discovery. Every viewpoint has value—even yours.
Who this course is for:
- This course is for any person who wants greater critical thinking skills, whether or not they are familiar with the subject. This is for beginners, intermediate, and advanced critical thinkers who enjoy learning new ways of looking at a topic.
- This course is not for anyone who would not enjoy a fresh perspective on critical thinking. This course is probably not for you if you expect lessons in critical thinking to be delivered in some standard format used by some universities.
Course content
- Preview02:32
- Preview06:11
- 4 questionsCritical Thinking Introduction
Instructor
Perpetual student and perpetual teacher.
Professor Martin has had several successful careers—Hollywood artist with screen credit, software engineer with a degree summa cum laude, published author and first-place award-winning essayist, and college professor in information technology, mathematics and ethics.
Artist
As an artist, he worked with Star Wars, special effects manager, George Mather and with two-time Academy Award winning designer, Saul Bass. He has had one-person shows of his space art at the Bonaventure in downtown Los Angeles, at the world renowned Griffith Observatory, and other venues.
I.T. Specialist & Software Engineer
As an information technology specialist, he has worked for Control Data Corporation, Bank of America, Ceridian Payroll, Global Database Marketing, and IPRO Tech. He has also created 3D astronomy software, "Stars in the NeighborHood," which remains available online. He has programmed in over 20 languages.
Writer
As a writer, he has written both science fiction and non-fiction. In 1983, he co-authored as Carl Martin, with John Dalmas, Touch the Stars: Emergence. In 1994, he won first-place awards for both an essay ("Outsiderness in the Scientific Community," Krupnick Award) and a short story ("Toady," Dutton Books Award). In 2012, he published The Art of Forgiveness. In 2014, as Carl Martin, he published two other books of science fiction, Touch the Stars: Diaspora, and Entropy's Children. In 2014, he published The Bible's Hidden Wisdom, and The Spark of Creativity, and in 2015, Enemies of Christ. In 2018, he published Climate Basics: Nothing to Fear, which became a #1 Weather Bestseller on Amazon for 14 weeks.
Teacher
As a college professor, Mr. Martin has taught college algebra, database development, web development (HTML, CSS, and PHP), computer fundamentals, assembly language, professional ethics, and quality in software development.
Mr. Martin maintains nearly a dozen websites, including websites for Rod Martin, Jr., Tharsis Highlands and Ancient Suns, starting in 2001.
Spiritual Searcher of Truth
Throughout his life, Mr. Martin has hungered to know more about the universe in which we all live, including the spiritual side of it all. He has studied comparative religion, including Christian Fundamentalism, Scientology, Buddhism (Tibetan and Thai), Judaism, Kabbalah (Bnei Baruch) and Christ's teachings. He has written several books on spirituality and the Bible.