The Critical Thinker Podcast is a platform where I explore what it means to be an independent critical thinker. The content in the podcast varies from episode to episode, but it’s organized around the idea that there are five principle components, or “pillars”, of critical thinking, and that all of these components need to be developed and brought to bear when reasoning about specific topics and when attempting to persuade through argumentation. These five pillars include LOGIC, ARGUMENTATION, RHETORIC, BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE, and ATTITUDES AND VALUES.
Below I’ve collected video podcast episodes that introduce and discuss each of the five components listed above, in roughly that order.
The last three episodes focus on a particular aspect of background knowledge that is very important for critical thinking; namely, background knowledge about cognitive biases and the way human beings actually form beliefs and make decisions.
Note:
1. I’ve modified the URL for the podcast and tutorials site a couple of times since these episodes were produced, so some of the URL links to websites in the videos are out-dated.
2. ALL the podcast episodes are free, they’re not protected content.
1. What’s the Difference Between Logic and Argumentation? (12:22)
2. How Much Logic Do Critical Thinkers Really Need to Know? (19:21)
3. What’s the Difference Between Argumentation and Rhetoric? (9:50)
4. The Importance of Background Knowledge: Critical Thinking’s Dirty Secret (7:25)
5. Understanding Different Points of View: What Critical Thinkers Can Learn from Actors (10:06)
6. Cognitive Biases: What They Are and Why They’re Important (13:19)
7. Cognitive Biases and the Authority of Science (27:46)
8. Confirmation Bias and the Evolution of Reason (25:13)
Return to the index of courses
