The Little Blue Reasoning Book - Brandon Royal [1]
Welcome to the wonderful world of reasoning.
Introduction
Some 2,500 years ago, Socrates gave birth to the art and science of what we now call critical reasoning. Through a system of inquiry, known as the “Socratic method,” Socrates used a series of probing questions to obtain answers and then critique those answers. In this manner, he sought to reveal the key issues behind perplexing problems, to uncover the merit and flaws in commonly held ideas, and to expose those contradictory beliefs that often hide behind smooth-sounding but empty rhetoric. It is indeed humorous to reflect on Socrates’ observation that one cannot necessarily rely on the “sound” judgment of those individuals occupying positions of authority; they may be prone to think in a muddled, whimsical, or irrational manner.
Critical reasoning, also referred to as critical thinking, may be defined broadly as “the process by which we evaluate information.” Often, the information we seek relates to problems or opportunities, and the process relates to how we arrive at our conclusions based upon the information we have. Individuals who possess critical thinking skills can identify problems or opportunities, gather relevant information, analyze information in a “proper” way, and come to reliable conclusions by themselves, without necessarily relying on others.
Notwithstanding our ability to read, no other single skill is more important than our ability to reason. Yet, strangely, no required course dedicated to reasoning skills exists as a part of our regular school curriculum or as part of any on-the-job training program. This book provides a distillation of the most useful academic and real-life reasoning concepts. Teaching in our school systems — primary, secondary, and post-secondary — has traditionally been skewed toward instructing us “what to think” as opposed to “how to think.” An all-rounded education must balance the teaching of course content with new and better ways of understanding and interpreting the material at hand.
This book contains fifty reasoning tips interspersed throughout five sections. Perception & Mindset (chapter 1) provides an initial framework for reasoning. We live in a world of imperfect information and of imperfect abilities, where subjectivity is a key ingredient. As no two individuals have the same perspective or mindset, we must makes allowances for this when mastering the tools of reasoning and logic.
Creative Thinking (chapter 2) introduces non-traditional thinking methods. Creative thinking is subjective or non-linear thinking, and is often referred to as “out-of-the-box” thinking. One of the most useful topics is reframing problems. An important step in problem solving involves asking, “Is the perceived problem really the problem?” The ability to use creativity to better define problems bolsters the ability to solve problems.
Decision Making (chapter 3) focuses on applied reasoning and introduces various tools, the major benefit of which is to structure or quantify the decision-making process. The basic tools — boxes and trees — are devices that allow problems to be approached in an efficient, organized manner. Other tools, such as weighted ranking and utility analysis, allow us to quantify qualitative decisions (e.g., hiring decisions, career choices), which may or may not involve monetary considerations.
Analyzing Arguments (chapter 4) shows us how to break arguments down according to classic argument structure: conclusion, evidence, and assumption. The ability to understand, attack, and defend arguments is one of the most fundamental uses of reasoning skills. Mastering Logic (chapter 5) contains some of the more technical material in this book, but it also provides the foundation for understanding some of the most relevant examples of reasoning flaws found