Guide to Critical Thinking

Key Terms
critical thinking The activity of care-
ful assessment and self-assessment that 
employs logical reasoning as the princi-
pal basis for accepting beliefs or making 
judgments.
formal logic The abstract study of argu-
ments, often using symbolic notation for 
analysis.
informal logic The study and description of 
reasoning in everyday life.
logic The study of arguments as tools for 
arriving at warranted judgments.
philosophy The activity of clarifying ideas 
with the goal of seeking truth.
rhetoric The art of persuasion.
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