from critical thinking to argument 7th edition free

• I'M AN INSTRUCTOR
• I'M A STUDENT

Find what you need to succeed.

• Our Mission
• Our Leadership
• Learning Science
• Macmillan Learning AI
• Sustainability
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Accessibility
• Astronomy Biochemistry Biology Chemistry College Success Communication Economics Electrical Engineering English Environmental Science Geography Geology History Mathematics Music & Theater Nutrition and Health Philosophy & Religion Physics Psychology Sociology Statistics Value
• Digital Offerings
• Inclusive Access
• Lab Solutions
• LMS Integration
• Curriculum Solutions
• Training and Demos
• First Day of Class
• Administrators
• Affordable Solutions
• Badging & Certification
• News & Media
• Contact Us & FAQs
• Find Your Rep
• Booksellers
• Macmillan International Support
• International Translation Rights
• Request Permissions
• Report Piracy

From Critical Thinking to Argument

Related Titles

Psychology in Everyday Life

A portable guide seventh edition | ©2023 sylvan barnet; hugo bedau; john o'hara.

ISBN:9781319485863

Take notes, add highlights, and download our mobile-friendly e-books.

ISBN:9781319332129

Read and study old-school with our bound texts.

ISBN:9781319499143

This package includes Achieve and Paperback.

Essential critical thinking and argument coverage in an affordable, streamlined format.

From Critical Thinking to Argument is a brief but thorough guide to argument at a great value.  This versatile text gives students strategies for critical thinking, reading, and writing and makes argument concepts clear through its treatment of classic and modern approaches to argument, including Aristotelian, Toulmin, and Rogerian argument, as well as visual rhetoric. A new Consider This activity provides metacognitive opportunities and encourages students to think critically about their own decision-making and the ways argument concepts impact their lived experiences.With just twenty-one readings, this affordable guide can stand alone or complement an anthology.

New to This Edition

“ From Critical Thinking to Argument is concise but covers all the important aspects of argumentation and logic necessary. I have used it for years and liked the readings.”  - Patricia Hanahoe-Dosch, Harrisburg Area Community College, Harris “ From Critical Thinking to Argument is comprehensive and reasonably priced, with good explanations of the academic argument genre.”  - Jodi Corser, Southern Utah University “This textbook fits well with the kinds of assignments I like to give, especially a critical analysis of a student-selected reading.”  - Larry Sklaney, Century Community and Technical College “ From Critical Thinking to Argument is a well-balanced text with attention to bias and perception.”  - Susan Miller, University of California, Merced “ From Critical Thinking to Argument offers a wide range of ways to continue a students progress towards constructing a scholarly paper based on argument, and can be fitted to the needs of basic or advanced students of rhetoric.”  - Daniel Cameron, Greensboro College

Seventh Edition | ©2023

Sylvan Barnet; Hugo Bedau; John O'Hara

Digital Options

Achieve is a comprehensive set of interconnected teaching and assessment tools that incorporate the most effective elements from Macmillan Learning's market leading solutions in a single, easy-to-use platform.

Schedule Achieve Demo

Read online (or offline) with all the highlighting and notetaking tools you need to be successful in this course.

Learn About E-book

Seventh Edition | 2023

Table of Contents

Sylvan Barnet

Sylvan Barnet was a professor of English and former director of writing at Tufts University. His several texts on writing and his numerous anthologies for introductory composition and literature courses have remained leaders in their field through many editions. His titles, with Hugo Bedau, include Current Issues and Enduring Questions; Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing ; and From Critical Thinking to Argument.

Hugo Bedau was a professor of philosophy at Tufts University and served as chair of the philosophy department and chair of the university’s committee on College Writing. An internationally respected expert on the death penalty, and on moral, legal, and political philosophy, he wrote or edited a number of books on these topics. He co-authored, with Sylvan Barnet, of Current Issues and Enduring Questions; Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing ; and From Critical Thinking to Argument.

John O'Hara

John Fitzgerald O’Hara is an associate professor of Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing at Stockton University, where he is the coordinator of the first-year critical thinking program, and former Director of the Master of Arts in American Studies Program. He regularly teaches writing, critical thinking, and courses in American literature and history and is a nationally-recognized expert on the 1960s. He is the co-author of Current Issues and Enduring Questions; Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing ; and From Critical Thinking to Argument.

Seventh Edition | 2023

Instructor Resources

Need instructor resources for your course, download resources.

You need to sign in to unlock your resources.

Instructor's Manual for Resources for Teaching From Critical Thinking to Argument

You've selected:

Click the E-mail Download Link button and we'll send you an e-mail at with links to download your instructor resources. Please note there may be a delay in delivering your e-mail depending on the size of the files.

Your download request has been received and your download link will be sent to .

Please note you could wait up to 30 to 60 minutes to receive your download e-mail depending on the number and size of the files. We appreciate your patience while we process your request.

Check your inbox, trash, and spam folders for an e-mail from [email protected] .

If you do not receive your e-mail, please visit macmillanlearning.com/support .

Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing

Current Issues and Enduring Questions

Select a demo to view:

We are happy to offer free Achieve access in addition to the physical sample you have selected. Sample this version now as opposed to waiting for the physical edition.

From Critical Thinking to Argument 7th Edition A Portable Guide

• Author(s) Sylvan Barnet; Hugo Bedau; John O'Hara
• Publisher Bedford/St. Martin's

Print ISBN 9781319332129, 1319332129

Etext isbn 9781319485863, 1319485863.

• Edition 7th
• Copyright 2023
• Available from $ 29.99 USD SKU: 9781319485863R180

The world’s #1 eTextbook reader for students. VitalSource is the leading provider of online textbooks and course materials. More than 15 million users have used our Bookshelf platform over the past year to improve their learning experience and outcomes. With anytime, anywhere access and built-in tools like highlighters, flashcards, and study groups, it’s easy to see why so many students are going digital with Bookshelf.

Over 2.7 million titles available from more than 1,000 publishers

Over 65,000 customer reviews with an average rating of 9.5

Over 5 billion digital pages viewed over the past 12 months

Over 7,000 institutions using Bookshelf across 241 countries

From Critical Thinking to Argument: A Portable Guide 7th Edition is written by Sylvan Barnet; Hugo Bedau; John O'Hara and published by Bedford/St. Martin's. The Digital and eTextbook ISBNs for From Critical Thinking to Argument are 9781319485863, 1319485863 and the print ISBNs are 9781319332129, 1319332129. Save up to 80% versus print by going digital with VitalSource.

We’re fighting to restore access to 500,000+ books in court this week. Join us!

Internet Archive Audio

• This Just In
• Grateful Dead
• Old Time Radio
• 78 RPMs and Cylinder Recordings
• Audio Books & Poetry
• Computers, Technology and Science
• Music, Arts & Culture
• News & Public Affairs
• Spirituality & Religion
• Radio News Archive

• Flickr Commons
• Occupy Wall Street Flickr
• NASA Images
• Solar System Collection
• Ames Research Center

• All Software
• Old School Emulation
• MS-DOS Games
• Historical Software
• Classic PC Games
• Software Library
• Kodi Archive and Support File
• Vintage Software
• CD-ROM Software
• CD-ROM Software Library
• Software Sites
• Tucows Software Library
• Shareware CD-ROMs
• Software Capsules Compilation
• CD-ROM Images
• ZX Spectrum
• DOOM Level CD

• Smithsonian Libraries
• FEDLINK (US)
• Lincoln Collection
• American Libraries
• Canadian Libraries
• Universal Library
• Project Gutenberg
• Children's Library
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• Books by Language
• Additional Collections

• Prelinger Archives
• Democracy Now!
• Occupy Wall Street
• TV NSA Clip Library
• Animation & Cartoons
• Arts & Music
• Computers & Technology
• Cultural & Academic Films
• Ephemeral Films
• Sports Videos
• Videogame Videos
• Youth Media

Search the history of over 866 billion web pages on the Internet.

Mobile Apps

• Wayback Machine (iOS)
• Wayback Machine (Android)

Browser Extensions

Archive-it subscription.

• Explore the Collections
• Build Collections

Save Page Now

Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future.

Please enter a valid web address

• Donate Donate icon An illustration of a heart shape

From critical thinking to argument : a portable guide

Bookreader item preview, share or embed this item, flag this item for.

• Graphic Violence
• Explicit Sexual Content
• Hate Speech
• Misinformation/Disinformation
• Marketing/Phishing/Advertising
• Misleading/Inaccurate/Missing Metadata

Obscured text on back cover due to sticker attached.

plus-circle Add Review comment Reviews

9 Favorites

DOWNLOAD OPTIONS

No suitable files to display here.

IN COLLECTIONS

Uploaded by station03.cebu on December 28, 2022

Find what you need to succeed.

Student benefits.

• Special Offers
• Rent and Save
• Flexible Formats
• College Quest Blog
• Astronomy Biochemistry Biology Chemistry College Success Communication Economics Electrical Engineering English Environmental Science Geography Geology History Mathematics Music & Theater Nutrition and Health Philosophy & Religion Physics Psychology Sociology Statistics Value

Digital Products

• iClicker Student App (Student Response System)
• Rental and Returns
• Support Community
• Student Options Explained

GET FREE SHIPPING!

Use Promo Code SHIPFREE at Step 4 of checkout.

*Free Shipping only applicable to US orders. Restrictions apply.

FREE shipping.

Promo Code SHIPFREE

FREE eBook access.

While your print book ships!

From Critical Thinking to Argument

Seventh  edition | ©2023  sylvan barnet; hugo bedau; john o'hara.

ISBN:9781319485863

Take notes, add highlights, and download our mobile-friendly e-books.

ISBN:9781319332129

Read and study old-school with our bound texts.

Includes eBook Trial Access

ISBN:9781319499150

This package includes Achieve and Paperback.

You will need to find your course in order to purchase Achieve.

Digital Options

Essential advice for writing arguments at an unbeatable price. From Critical Thinking to Argument is a brief but thorough guide to critical thinking and argument that will provide you with the foundation for thinking critically, evaluating an issue, and writing a strong academic argument.

Read online (or offline) with all the highlighting and notetaking tools you need to be successful in this course.

Achieve is a single, easy-to-use platform proven to engage students for better course outcomes

Table of Contents

Sylvan Barnet

Sylvan Barnet was a professor of English and former director of writing at Tufts University. His several texts on writing and his numerous anthologies for introductory composition and literature courses have remained leaders in their field through many editions. His titles, with Hugo Bedau, include Current Issues and Enduring Questions; Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing ; and From Critical Thinking to Argument.

Hugo Bedau was a professor of philosophy at Tufts University and served as chair of the philosophy department and chair of the university’s committee on College Writing. An internationally respected expert on the death penalty, and on moral, legal, and political philosophy, he wrote or edited a number of books on these topics. He co-authored, with Sylvan Barnet, of Current Issues and Enduring Questions; Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing ; and From Critical Thinking to Argument.

John O'Hara

John Fitzgerald O’Hara is an associate professor of Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing at Stockton University, where he is the coordinator of the first-year critical thinking program, and former Director of the Master of Arts in American Studies Program. He regularly teaches writing, critical thinking, and courses in American literature and history and is a nationally-recognized expert on the 1960s. He is the co-author of Current Issues and Enduring Questions; Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing ; and From Critical Thinking to Argument.

Essential critical thinking and argument coverage in an affordable, streamlined format.

Related Titles

Find your school, select your discipline, select your course, find your course, confirm your course.

We found the following course. Does this look correct?

We found the following course. To properly enroll in your course, please use the link provided in your school's course system (LMS Example: Canvas, Blackboard, D2L, Etc).

Your Achieve account needs to be linked with your school's account.

• Writing, Research & Publishing Guides

Sorry, there was a problem.

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required .

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

Image Unavailable

• To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the authors

From Critical Thinking to Argument: A Portable Guide Third Edition

• ISBN-10 0312601611
• ISBN-13 978-0312601614
• Edition Third
• Publisher Bedford/St. Martin's
• Publication date July 26, 2010
• Language English
• Dimensions 5.46 x 0.51 x 8.15 inches
• Print length 384 pages
• See all details

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bedford/St. Martin's; Third edition (July 26, 2010)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0312601611
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0312601614
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.46 x 0.51 x 8.15 inches
• #17,560 in Core
• #27,318 in Writing Reference
• #32,465 in Words, Language & Grammar (Books)

About the authors

Hugo adam bedau.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Sylvan Barnet

Customer reviews.

• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 5 star 64% 16% 13% 3% 4% 64%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 4 star 64% 16% 13% 3% 4% 16%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 3 star 64% 16% 13% 3% 4% 13%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 2 star 64% 16% 13% 3% 4% 3%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 1 star 64% 16% 13% 3% 4% 4%

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

• Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

• About Amazon
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Sell products on Amazon
• Sell on Amazon Business
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Become an Affiliate
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Host an Amazon Hub
• › See More Make Money with Us
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Amazon and COVID-19
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices

• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
• Your Ads Privacy Choices

Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking

(10 reviews)

Matthew Van Cleave, Lansing Community College

Copyright Year: 2016

Publisher: Matthew J. Van Cleave

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Learn more about reviews.

Reviewed by "yusef" Alexander Hayes, Professor, North Shore Community College on 6/9/21

Formal and informal reasoning, argument structure, and fallacies are covered comprehensively, meeting the author's goal of both depth and succinctness. read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

Formal and informal reasoning, argument structure, and fallacies are covered comprehensively, meeting the author's goal of both depth and succinctness.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The book is accurate.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

While many modern examples are used, and they are helpful, they are not necessarily needed. The usefulness of logical principles and skills have proved themselves, and this text presents them clearly with many examples.

Clarity rating: 5

It is obvious that the author cares about their subject, audience, and students. The text is comprehensible and interesting.

Consistency rating: 5

The format is easy to understand and is consistent in framing.

Modularity rating: 5

This text would be easy to adapt.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The organization is excellent, my one suggestion would be a concluding chapter.

Interface rating: 5

I accessed the PDF version and it would be easy to work with.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The writing is excellent.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

This is not an offensive text.

Reviewed by Susan Rottmann, Part-time Lecturer, University of Southern Maine on 3/2/21

I reviewed this book for a course titled "Creative and Critical Inquiry into Modern Life." It won't meet all my needs for that course, but I haven't yet found a book that would. I wanted to review this one because it states in the preface that it... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

I reviewed this book for a course titled "Creative and Critical Inquiry into Modern Life." It won't meet all my needs for that course, but I haven't yet found a book that would. I wanted to review this one because it states in the preface that it fits better for a general critical thinking course than for a true logic course. I'm not sure that I'd agree. I have been using Browne and Keeley's "Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking," and I think that book is a better introduction to critical thinking for non-philosophy majors. However, the latter is not open source so I will figure out how to get by without it in the future. Overall, the book seems comprehensive if the subject is logic. The index is on the short-side, but fine. However, one issue for me is that there are no page numbers on the table of contents, which is pretty annoying if you want to locate particular sections.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

I didn't find any errors. In general the book uses great examples. However, they are very much based in the American context, not for an international student audience. Some effort to broaden the chosen examples would make the book more widely applicable.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

I think the book will remain relevant because of the nature of the material that it addresses, however there will be a need to modify the examples in future editions and as the social and political context changes.

Clarity rating: 3

The text is lucid, but I think it would be difficult for introductory-level students who are not philosophy majors. For example, in Browne and Keeley's "Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking," the sub-headings are very accessible, such as "Experts cannot rescue us, despite what they say" or "wishful thinking: perhaps the biggest single speed bump on the road to critical thinking." By contrast, Van Cleave's "Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking" has more subheadings like this: "Using your own paraphrases of premises and conclusions to reconstruct arguments in standard form" or "Propositional logic and the four basic truth functional connectives." If students are prepared very well for the subject, it would work fine, but for students who are newly being introduced to critical thinking, it is rather technical.

It seems to be very consistent in terms of its terminology and framework.

Modularity rating: 4

The book is divided into 4 chapters, each having many sub-chapters. In that sense, it is readily divisible and modular. However, as noted above, there are no page numbers on the table of contents, which would make assigning certain parts rather frustrating. Also, I'm not sure why the book is only four chapter and has so many subheadings (for instance 17 in Chapter 2) and a length of 242 pages. Wouldn't it make more sense to break up the book into shorter chapters? I think this would make it easier to read and to assign in specific blocks to students.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The organization of the book is fine overall, although I think adding page numbers to the table of contents and breaking it up into more separate chapters would help it to be more easily navigable.

Interface rating: 4

The book is very simply presented. In my opinion it is actually too simple. There are few boxes or diagrams that highlight and explain important points.

The text seems fine grammatically. I didn't notice any errors.

The book is written with an American audience in mind, but I did not notice culturally insensitive or offensive parts.

Overall, this book is not for my course, but I think it could work well in a philosophy course.

Reviewed by Daniel Lee, Assistant Professor of Economics and Leadership, Sweet Briar College on 11/11/19

This textbook is not particularly comprehensive (4 chapters long), but I view that as a benefit. In fact, I recommend it for use outside of traditional logic classes, but rather interdisciplinary classes that evaluate argument read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

This textbook is not particularly comprehensive (4 chapters long), but I view that as a benefit. In fact, I recommend it for use outside of traditional logic classes, but rather interdisciplinary classes that evaluate argument

To the best of my ability, I regard this content as accurate, error-free, and unbiased

The book is broadly relevant and up-to-date, with a few stray temporal references (sydney olympics, particular presidencies). I don't view these time-dated examples as problematic as the logical underpinnings are still there and easily assessed

Clarity rating: 4

My only pushback on clarity is I didn't find the distinction between argument and explanation particularly helpful/useful/easy to follow. However, this experience may have been unique to my class.

To the best of my ability, I regard this content as internally consistent

I found this text quite modular, and was easily able to integrate other texts into my lessons and disregard certain chapters or sub-sections

The book had a logical and consistent structure, but to the extent that there are only 4 chapters, there isn't much scope for alternative approaches here

No problems with the book's interface

The text is grammatically sound

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

Perhaps the text could have been more universal in its approach. While I didn't find the book insensitive per-se, logic can be tricky here because the point is to evaluate meaningful (non-trivial) arguments, but any argument with that sense of gravity can also be traumatic to students (abortion, death penalty, etc)

No additional comments

Reviewed by Lisa N. Thomas-Smith, Graduate Part-time Instructor, CU Boulder on 7/1/19

The text covers all the relevant technical aspects of introductory logic and critical thinking, and covers them well. A separate glossary would be quite helpful to students. However, the terms are clearly and thoroughly explained within the text,... read more

The text covers all the relevant technical aspects of introductory logic and critical thinking, and covers them well. A separate glossary would be quite helpful to students. However, the terms are clearly and thoroughly explained within the text, and the index is very thorough.

The content is excellent. The text is thorough and accurate with no errors that I could discern. The terminology and exercises cover the material nicely and without bias.

The text should easily stand the test of time. The exercises are excellent and would be very helpful for students to internalize correct critical thinking practices. Because of the logical arrangement of the text and the many sub-sections, additional material should be very easy to add.

The text is extremely clearly and simply written. I anticipate that a diligent student could learn all of the material in the text with little additional instruction. The examples are relevant and easy to follow.

The text did not confuse terms or use inconsistent terminology, which is very important in a logic text. The discipline often uses multiple terms for the same concept, but this text avoids that trap nicely.

The text is fairly easily divisible. Since there are only four chapters, those chapters include large blocks of information. However, the chapters themselves are very well delineated and could be easily broken up so that parts could be left out or covered in a different order from the text.

The flow of the text is excellent. All of the information is handled solidly in an order that allows the student to build on the information previously covered.

The PDF Table of Contents does not include links or page numbers which would be very helpful for navigation. Other than that, the text was very easy to navigate. All the images, charts, and graphs were very clear

I found no grammatical errors in the text.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

The text including examples and exercises did not seem to be offensive or insensitive in any specific way. However, the examples included references to black and white people, but few others. Also, the text is very American specific with many examples from and for an American audience. More diversity, especially in the examples, would be appropriate and appreciated.

Reviewed by Leslie Aarons, Associate Professor of Philosophy, CUNY LaGuardia Community College on 5/16/19

This is an excellent introductory (first-year) Logic and Critical Thinking textbook. The book covers the important elementary information, clearly discussing such things as the purpose and basic structure of an argument; the difference between an... read more

This is an excellent introductory (first-year) Logic and Critical Thinking textbook. The book covers the important elementary information, clearly discussing such things as the purpose and basic structure of an argument; the difference between an argument and an explanation; validity; soundness; and the distinctions between an inductive and a deductive argument in accessible terms in the first chapter. It also does a good job introducing and discussing informal fallacies (Chapter 4). The incorporation of opportunities to evaluate real-world arguments is also very effective. Chapter 2 also covers a number of formal methods of evaluating arguments, such as Venn Diagrams and Propositional logic and the four basic truth functional connectives, but to my mind, it is much more thorough in its treatment of Informal Logic and Critical Thinking skills, than it is of formal logic. I also appreciated that Van Cleave’s book includes exercises with answers and an index, but there is no glossary; which I personally do not find detracts from the book's comprehensiveness.

Overall, Van Cleave's book is error-free and unbiased. The language used is accessible and engaging. There were no glaring inaccuracies that I was able to detect.

Van Cleave's Textbook uses relevant, contemporary content that will stand the test of time, at least for the next few years. Although some examples use certain subjects like former President Obama, it does so in a useful manner that inspires the use of critical thinking skills. There are an abundance of examples that inspire students to look at issues from many different political viewpoints, challenging students to practice evaluating arguments, and identifying fallacies. Many of these exercises encourage students to critique issues, and recognize their own inherent reader-biases and challenge their own beliefs--hallmarks of critical thinking.

As mentioned previously, the author has an accessible style that makes the content relatively easy to read and engaging. He also does a suitable job explaining jargon/technical language that is introduced in the textbook.

Van Cleave uses terminology consistently and the chapters flow well. The textbook orients the reader by offering effective introductions to new material, step-by-step explanations of the material, as well as offering clear summaries of each lesson.

This textbook's modularity is really quite good. Its language and structure are not overly convoluted or too-lengthy, making it convenient for individual instructors to adapt the materials to suit their methodological preferences.

The topics in the textbook are presented in a logical and clear fashion. The structure of the chapters are such that it is not necessary to have to follow the chapters in their sequential order, and coverage of material can be adapted to individual instructor's preferences.

The textbook is free of any problematic interface issues. Topics, sections and specific content are accessible and easy to navigate. Overall it is user-friendly.

I did not find any significant grammatical issues with the textbook.

The textbook is not culturally insensitive, making use of a diversity of inclusive examples. Materials are especially effective for first-year critical thinking/logic students.

I intend to adopt Van Cleave's textbook for a Critical Thinking class I am teaching at the Community College level. I believe that it will help me facilitate student-learning, and will be a good resource to build additional classroom activities from the materials it provides.

Reviewed by Jennie Harrop, Chair, Department of Professional Studies, George Fox University on 3/27/18

While the book is admirably comprehensive, its extensive details within a few short chapters may feel overwhelming to students. The author tackles an impressive breadth of concepts in Chapter 1, 2, 3, and 4, which leads to 50-plus-page chapters... read more

While the book is admirably comprehensive, its extensive details within a few short chapters may feel overwhelming to students. The author tackles an impressive breadth of concepts in Chapter 1, 2, 3, and 4, which leads to 50-plus-page chapters that are dense with statistical analyses and critical vocabulary. These topics are likely better broached in manageable snippets rather than hefty single chapters.

The ideas addressed in Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking are accurate but at times notably political. While politics are effectively used to exemplify key concepts, some students may be distracted by distinct political leanings.

The terms and definitions included are relevant, but the examples are specific to the current political, cultural, and social climates, which could make the materials seem dated in a few years without intentional and consistent updates.

While the reasoning is accurate, the author tends to complicate rather than simplify -- perhaps in an effort to cover a spectrum of related concepts. Beginning readers are likely to be overwhelmed and under-encouraged by his approach.

Consistency rating: 3

The four chapters are somewhat consistent in their play of definition, explanation, and example, but the structure of each chapter varies according to the concepts covered. In the third chapter, for example, key ideas are divided into sub-topics numbering from 3.1 to 3.10. In the fourth chapter, the sub-divisions are further divided into sub-sections numbered 4.1.1-4.1.5, 4.2.1-4.2.2, and 4.3.1 to 4.3.6. Readers who are working quickly to master new concepts may find themselves mired in similarly numbered subheadings, longing for a grounded concepts on which to hinge other key principles.

Modularity rating: 3

The book's four chapters make it mostly self-referential. The author would do well to beak this text down into additional subsections, easing readers' accessibility.

The content of the book flows logically and well, but the information needs to be better sub-divided within each larger chapter, easing the student experience.

The book's interface is effective, allowing readers to move from one section to the next with a single click. Additional sub-sections would ease this interplay even further.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

Some minor errors throughout.

For the most part, the book is culturally neutral, avoiding direct cultural references in an effort to remain relevant.

Reviewed by Yoichi Ishida, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Ohio University on 2/1/18

This textbook covers enough topics for a first-year course on logic and critical thinking. Chapter 1 covers the basics as in any standard textbook in this area. Chapter 2 covers propositional logic and categorical logic. In propositional logic,... read more

This textbook covers enough topics for a first-year course on logic and critical thinking. Chapter 1 covers the basics as in any standard textbook in this area. Chapter 2 covers propositional logic and categorical logic. In propositional logic, this textbook does not cover suppositional arguments, such as conditional proof and reductio ad absurdum. But other standard argument forms are covered. Chapter 3 covers inductive logic, and here this textbook introduces probability and its relationship with cognitive biases, which are rarely discussed in other textbooks. Chapter 4 introduces common informal fallacies. The answers to all the exercises are given at the end. However, the last set of exercises is in Chapter 3, Section 5. There are no exercises in the rest of the chapter. Chapter 4 has no exercises either. There is index, but no glossary.

The textbook is accurate.

The content of this textbook will not become obsolete soon.

The textbook is written clearly.

The textbook is internally consistent.

The textbook is fairly modular. For example, Chapter 3, together with a few sections from Chapter 1, can be used as a short introduction to inductive logic.

The textbook is well-organized.

There are no interface issues.

I did not find any grammatical errors.

This textbook is relevant to a first semester logic or critical thinking course.

Reviewed by Payal Doctor, Associate Professro, LaGuardia Community College on 2/1/18

This text is a beginner textbook for arguments and propositional logic. It covers the basics of identifying arguments, building arguments, and using basic logic to construct propositions and arguments. It is quite comprehensive for a beginner... read more

This text is a beginner textbook for arguments and propositional logic. It covers the basics of identifying arguments, building arguments, and using basic logic to construct propositions and arguments. It is quite comprehensive for a beginner book, but seems to be a good text for a course that needs a foundation for arguments. There are exercises on creating truth tables and proofs, so it could work as a logic primer in short sessions or with the addition of other course content.

The books is accurate in the information it presents. It does not contain errors and is unbiased. It covers the essential vocabulary clearly and givens ample examples and exercises to ensure the student understands the concepts

The content of the book is up to date and can be easily updated. Some examples are very current for analyzing the argument structure in a speech, but for this sort of text understandable examples are important and the author uses good examples.

The book is clear and easy to read. In particular, this is a good text for community college students who often have difficulty with reading comprehension. The language is straightforward and concepts are well explained.

The book is consistent in terminology, formatting, and examples. It flows well from one topic to the next, but it is also possible to jump around the text without loosing the voice of the text.

The books is broken down into sub units that make it easy to assign short blocks of content at a time. Later in the text, it does refer to a few concepts that appear early in that text, but these are all basic concepts that must be used to create a clear and understandable text. No sections are too long and each section stays on topic and relates the topic to those that have come before when necessary.

The flow of the text is logical and clear. It begins with the basic building blocks of arguments, and practice identifying more and more complex arguments is offered. Each chapter builds up from the previous chapter in introducing propositional logic, truth tables, and logical arguments. A select number of fallacies are presented at the end of the text, but these are related to topics that were presented before, so it makes sense to have these last.

The text is free if interface issues. I used the PDF and it worked fine on various devices without loosing formatting.

1. The book contains no grammatical errors.

The text is culturally sensitive, but examples used are a bit odd and may be objectionable to some students. For instance, President Obama's speech on Syria is used to evaluate an extended argument. This is an excellent example and it is explained well, but some who disagree with Obama's policies may have trouble moving beyond their own politics. However, other examples look at issues from all political viewpoints and ask students to evaluate the argument, fallacy, etc. and work towards looking past their own beliefs. Overall this book does use a variety of examples that most students can understand and evaluate.

My favorite part of this book is that it seems to be written for community college students. My students have trouble understanding readings in the New York Times, so it is nice to see a logic and critical thinking text use real language that students can understand and follow without the constant need of a dictionary.

Reviewed by Rebecca Owen, Adjunct Professor, Writing, Chemeketa Community College on 6/20/17

This textbook is quite thorough--there are conversational explanations of argument structure and logic. I think students will be happy with the conversational style this author employs. Also, there are many examples and exercises using current... read more

This textbook is quite thorough--there are conversational explanations of argument structure and logic. I think students will be happy with the conversational style this author employs. Also, there are many examples and exercises using current events, funny scenarios, or other interesting ways to evaluate argument structure and validity. The third section, which deals with logical fallacies, is very clear and comprehensive. My only critique of the material included in the book is that the middle section may be a bit dense and math-oriented for learners who appreciate the more informal, informative style of the first and third section. Also, the book ends rather abruptly--it moves from a description of a logical fallacy to the answers for the exercises earlier in the text.

The content is very reader-friendly, and the author writes with authority and clarity throughout the text. There are a few surface-level typos (Starbuck's instead of Starbucks, etc.). None of these small errors detract from the quality of the content, though.

One thing I really liked about this text was the author's wide variety of examples. To demonstrate different facets of logic, he used examples from current media, movies, literature, and many other concepts that students would recognize from their daily lives. The exercises in this text also included these types of pop-culture references, and I think students will enjoy the familiarity--as well as being able to see the logical structures behind these types of references. I don't think the text will need to be updated to reflect new instances and occurrences; the author did a fine job at picking examples that are relatively timeless. As far as the subject matter itself, I don't think it will become obsolete any time soon.

The author writes in a very conversational, easy-to-read manner. The examples used are quite helpful. The third section on logical fallacies is quite easy to read, follow, and understand. A student in an argument writing class could benefit from this section of the book. The middle section is less clear, though. A student learning about the basics of logic might have a hard time digesting all of the information contained in chapter two. This material might be better in two separate chapters. I think the author loses the balance of a conversational, helpful tone and focuses too heavily on equations.

Consistency rating: 4

Terminology in this book is quite consistent--the key words are highlighted in bold. Chapters 1 and 3 follow a similar organizational pattern, but chapter 2 is where the material becomes more dense and equation-heavy. I also would have liked a closing passage--something to indicate to the reader that we've reached the end of the chapter as well as the book.

I liked the overall structure of this book. If I'm teaching an argumentative writing class, I could easily point the students to the chapters where they can identify and practice identifying fallacies, for instance. The opening chapter is clear in defining the necessary terms, and it gives the students an understanding of the toolbox available to them in assessing and evaluating arguments. Even though I found the middle section to be dense, smaller portions could be assigned.

The author does a fine job connecting each defined term to the next. He provides examples of how each defined term works in a sentence or in an argument, and then he provides practice activities for students to try. The answers for each question are listed in the final pages of the book. The middle section feels like the heaviest part of the whole book--it would take the longest time for a student to digest if assigned the whole chapter. Even though this middle section is a bit heavy, it does fit the overall structure and flow of the book. New material builds on previous chapters and sub-chapters. It ends abruptly--I didn't realize that it had ended, and all of a sudden I found myself in the answer section for those earlier exercises.

The simple layout is quite helpful! There is nothing distracting, image-wise, in this text. The table of contents is clearly arranged, and each topic is easy to find.

Tiny edits could be made (Starbuck's/Starbucks, for one). Otherwise, it is free of distracting grammatical errors.

This text is quite culturally relevant. For instance, there is one example that mentions the rumors of Barack Obama's birthplace as somewhere other than the United States. This example is used to explain how to analyze an argument for validity. The more "sensational" examples (like the Obama one above) are helpful in showing argument structure, and they can also help students see how rumors like this might gain traction--as well as help to show students how to debunk them with their newfound understanding of argument and logic.

The writing style is excellent for the subject matter, especially in the third section explaining logical fallacies. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this text!

Reviewed by Laurel Panser, Instructor, Riverland Community College on 6/20/17

This is a review of Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking, an open source book version 1.4 by Matthew Van Cleave. The comparison book used was Patrick J. Hurley’s A Concise Introduction to Logic 12th Edition published by Cengage as well as... read more

This is a review of Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking, an open source book version 1.4 by Matthew Van Cleave. The comparison book used was Patrick J. Hurley’s A Concise Introduction to Logic 12th Edition published by Cengage as well as the 13th edition with the same title. Lori Watson is the second author on the 13th edition.

Competing with Hurley is difficult with respect to comprehensiveness. For example, Van Cleave’s book is comprehensive to the extent that it probably covers at least two-thirds or more of what is dealt with in most introductory, one-semester logic courses. Van Cleave’s chapter 1 provides an overview of argumentation including discerning non-arguments from arguments, premises versus conclusions, deductive from inductive arguments, validity, soundness and more. Much of Van Cleave’s chapter 1 parallel’s Hurley’s chapter 1. Hurley’s chapter 3 regarding informal fallacies is comprehensive while Van Cleave’s chapter 4 on this topic is less extensive. Categorical propositions are a topic in Van Cleave’s chapter 2; Hurley’s chapters 4 and 5 provide more instruction on this, however. Propositional logic is another topic in Van Cleave’s chapter 2; Hurley’s chapters 6 and 7 provide more information on this, though. Van Cleave did discuss messy issues of language meaning briefly in his chapter 1; that is the topic of Hurley’s chapter 2.

Van Cleave’s book includes exercises with answers and an index. A glossary was not included.

Reviews of open source textbooks typically include criteria besides comprehensiveness. These include comments on accuracy of the information, whether the book will become obsolete soon, jargon-free clarity to the extent that is possible, organization, navigation ease, freedom from grammar errors and cultural relevance; Van Cleave’s book is fine in all of these areas. Further criteria for open source books includes modularity and consistency of terminology. Modularity is defined as including blocks of learning material that are easy to assign to students. Hurley’s book has a greater degree of modularity than Van Cleave’s textbook. The prose Van Cleave used is consistent.

Van Cleave’s book will not become obsolete soon.

Van Cleave’s book has accessible prose.

Van Cleave used terminology consistently.

Van Cleave’s book has a reasonable degree of modularity.

Van Cleave’s book is organized. The structure and flow of his book is fine.

Problems with navigation are not present.

Grammar problems were not present.

Van Cleave’s book is culturally relevant.

Van Cleave’s book is appropriate for some first semester logic courses.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Reconstructing and analyzing arguments

• 1.1 What is an argument?
• 1.2 Identifying arguments
• 1.3 Arguments vs. explanations
• 1.4 More complex argument structures
• 1.5 Using your own paraphrases of premises and conclusions to reconstruct arguments in standard form
• 1.6 Validity
• 1.7 Soundness
• 1.8 Deductive vs. inductive arguments
• 1.9 Arguments with missing premises
• 1.10 Assuring, guarding, and discounting
• 1.11 Evaluative language
• 1.12 Evaluating a real-life argument

Chapter 2: Formal methods of evaluating arguments

• 2.1 What is a formal method of evaluation and why do we need them?
• 2.2 Propositional logic and the four basic truth functional connectives
• 2.3 Negation and disjunction
• 2.4 Using parentheses to translate complex sentences
• 2.5 “Not both” and “neither nor”
• 2.6 The truth table test of validity
• 2.7 Conditionals
• 2.8 “Unless”
• 2.9 Material equivalence
• 2.10 Tautologies, contradictions, and contingent statements
• 2.11 Proofs and the 8 valid forms of inference
• 2.12 How to construct proofs
• 2.13 Short review of propositional logic
• 2.14 Categorical logic
• 2.15 The Venn test of validity for immediate categorical inferences
• 2.16 Universal statements and existential commitment
• 2.17 Venn validity for categorical syllogisms

Chapter 3: Evaluating inductive arguments and probabilistic and statistical fallacies

• 3.1 Inductive arguments and statistical generalizations
• 3.2 Inference to the best explanation and the seven explanatory virtues
• 3.3 Analogical arguments
• 3.4 Causal arguments
• 3.5 Probability
• 3.6 The conjunction fallacy
• 3.7 The base rate fallacy
• 3.8 The small numbers fallacy
• 3.9 Regression to the mean fallacy
• 3.10 Gambler's fallacy

Chapter 4: Informal fallacies

• 4.1 Formal vs. informal fallacies
• 4.1.1 Composition fallacy
• 4.1.2 Division fallacy
• 4.1.3 Begging the question fallacy
• 4.1.4 False dichotomy
• 4.1.5 Equivocation
• 4.2 Slippery slope fallacies
• 4.2.1 Conceptual slippery slope
• 4.2.2 Causal slippery slope
• 4.3 Fallacies of relevance
• 4.3.1 Ad hominem
• 4.3.2 Straw man
• 4.3.3 Tu quoque
• 4.3.4 Genetic
• 4.3.5 Appeal to consequences
• 4.3.6 Appeal to authority

Answers to exercises Glossary/Index

Ancillary Material

About the book.

This is an introductory textbook in logic and critical thinking. The goal of the textbook is to provide the reader with a set of tools and skills that will enable them to identify and evaluate arguments. The book is intended for an introductory course that covers both formal and informal logic. As such, it is not a formal logic textbook, but is closer to what one would find marketed as a “critical thinking textbook.”

About the Contributors

Matthew Van Cleave ,   PhD, Philosophy, University of Cincinnati, 2007.  VAP at Concordia College (Moorhead), 2008-2012.  Assistant Professor at Lansing Community College, 2012-2016. Professor at Lansing Community College, 2016-

Contribute to this Page

• For educators

From Critical Thinking to Argument 7th edition

A portable guide.

Sylvan Barnet , Hugo Bedau , John O'Hara

• Rent From $23.49

10-day refund guarantee and more

21-day refund guarantee and more

Rent $23.49

Included with your book.

• Feel free to highlight your book
• Free shipping on rental returns

Return within 21 days of the order for any reason.

Total Price: $23.49

List Price: was $ 40.99 your Savings*: $ 17.50

eTextbook $29.99

• Access anytime on connected devices
• Search and highlight directly in your eBook

If you're not satisfied with your eTextbook for any reason, you can cancel the book within 10 days & you will receive a full refund. No cheating! - you can only do this once per eTextbook.

Book Details

Standard Shipping Options

• Standard shipping
• 2-day shipping
• 1-day shipping

Return Policy

• Physical textbooks must be returned within 21 days of ordering
• eTextbooks must be canceled within 10 days of ordering See policy details

Rent 📙From Critical Thinking to Argument 7th edition (978-1319332129) today, or search our site for other 📚textbooks by Sylvan Barnet. Every textbook comes with a 21-day "Any Reason" guarantee. Published by Bedford/St. Martin's.

Publisher Description

This versatile text gives students strategies for critical thinking, reading, and writing and makes argument concepts clear through its treatment of classic and modern approaches to argument.

Table of Contents

*= new to this edition

PART ONE From Critical Thinking to Argument and Research

1 Critical Thinking  

Thinking about Thinking

Thinking as a Citizen

Obstacles to Critical Thinking

An Essay on Types of Thinking (and Rethinking)

*Adam Grant, A Preacher, a Prosecutor, a Politician, and a Scientist

Thinking through an Issue

Evaluating a Proposal

Survey, Analyze, and Evaluate the Issue

VISUAL GUIDE: EVALUATING A PROPOSAL

Anticipating Counterarguments

Critical Thinking at Work: From a Cluster to a Short Essay

Alexa Cabrera, Stirred and Strained: Pastafarians Should Be Allowed to Practice in Prison (student essay)

Generating Ideas: Writing as a Way of Thinking

Confronting Unfamiliar Issues

Using Clustering to Discover Ideas

Approaching an Issue (or an Assignment)

Prompting Yourself: Classical Topics and Invention

An Essay for Generating Ideas

*Asao B. Inoue, Do Grades Help Students Learn in Classrooms?

THINKING CRITICALLY: Generating Ideas

Generating Ideas from Multiple Perspectives

A Checklist for Critical Thinking

A Short Essay Calling for Critical Thinking

*Anand Jayprakash Vaidya, The Inclusion Problem in Critical Thinking: The Case of Indian Philosophy

2 Critical Reading: Getting Started

Framing Arguments

Active Reading

A Checklist for Previewing and Skimming

A Short Essay for Previewing Practice

Thinking Critically: Previewing

Charles R. Lawrence III, On Racist Speech

Reading With a Careful Eye: Underlining, Highlighting, Annotating

Reading Fast and Slow

Summarizing and Paraphrasing  

A Checklist for a Paraphrase  

Patchwriting and Plagiarism  

Strategies for Summarizing  

Critical Summary  

A Short Essay for Summarizing Practice   

VISUAL GUIDE: WRITING A CRITICAL SUMMARY  

Susan Jacoby, A First Amendment Junkie  

A Checklist for a Summary  

Essays for Analysis

Gwen Wilde, Why the Pledge of Allegiance Should Be Revised (student essay)  

*Sohrab Ahmari, Porn Isn’t Free Speech — on the Web or Anywhere     

*3 Understanding Rhetorical Appeals  

Argument and Persuasion  

Persuasive Appeals

THINKING CRITICALLY: Identifying Ethos  

VISUAL GUIDE: EVALUATING PERSUASIVE APPEALS  

Seeing the Appeals in Real-World Events  

Unethical Uses of Rhetorical Appeals

Are Such Appeals Always Unethical?

Nonrational Appeals: Satire, Irony, Sarcasm

Does All Communication Contain Arguments?

Arguments for Analysis

Afrika Afeni Mills, A Letter to White Teachers of My Children

Dodai Stewart, The Case for a National One-Week Vacation

*4 Identifying Procedures of Argument  

The Power and Perils of Reason

Rationalization

Confirmation Bias

Types of Reasoning  

Induction  

Deduction  

Premises and Syllogisms  

Testing Truth and Validity

A Checklist for Evaluating a Syllogism

Thinking Critically: Inductive and Deductive Reasoning

Some Procedures in Argument  

Definitions  

Thinking Critically: Analyzing Definitions

Evidence   

THINKING CRITICALLY: Authoritative Testimony  

A Checklist For Evaluating Statistical Evidence  

Assumptions

A Checklist for Examining Assumptions

An Essay for Examining Assumptions

A Checklist For Examining Assumptions

An Example Argument and a Look at the Writer’s Strategies

John Tierney, The Reign of Recycling  

5 Visual Rhetoric: Thinking about Images as Arguments  

Uses of Visual Images  

Seeing versus Looking

Reading Advertisements  

A Checklist for Analyzing Images

Detecting Emotional Appeals in Visual Culture

Reading Photographs

Do Photographs Always Tell the Truth?

A Checklist for Inspecting Digital Photographs  

Are Some Images Not Fit to Be Shown?

A Checklist for Publishing Controversial Images  

Accommodating, Resisting, and Negotiating the Meaning of Images  

Writing about Political Cartoons and Memes  

THINKING CRITICALLY: Analyzing Memes and Political Cartoons  

An Example: A Student’s Essay Analyzing Images  

Ryan Kwon, The American Pipe Dream? (student essay)  

Visuals as Aids to Clarity: Maps, Graphs, and Pie Charts  

A Checklist for Charts And Graphs  

Using Visuals in Your Own Paper  

6 Writing an Analysis of an Argument  

Analyzing an Argument  

Examining the Author’s Thesis  

Examining the Author’s Purpose  

Examining the Author’s Methods  

Examining the Author’s Persona  

Examining the Author’s Audience  

A Checklist for Analyzing an Author’s Intended Audience  

Organizing Your Analysis  

VISUAL GUIDE: ORGANIZING YOUR ANALYSIS  

Summary versus Analysis  

A Checklist for Analyzing a Text  

An Argument, Its Elements, and a Student’s Analysis of the Argument  

Nicholas D. Kristof, For Environmental Balance, Pick Up a Rifle  

THINKING CRITICALLY: Examining Language to Analyze an Author’s Argument  

The Essay Analyzed   

Theresa Carcaldi, For Sound Argument, Drop the Jokes: How Kristof Falls Short in Convincing His Audience (student essay)  

An Analysis of the Student’s Analysis  

A Checklist for Writing an Analysis of an Argument  

7 Developing an Argument of Your Own  

Planning an Argument  

Getting Ideas: Argument as an Instrument of Inquiry  

Brainstorming Strategies   

Revision as Invention  

The Thesis or Main Point  

Raising the Stakes of Your Thesis

A Checklist For A Thesis Statement  

THINKING CRITICALLY: “Walking the Tightrope�  

Imagining an Audience  

Addressing Opposition and Establishing Common Ground  

A Checklist for Imagining an Audience  

Drafting and Revising an Argument  

The Title  

The Opening Paragraphs  

Organizing the Body of the Essay  

VISUAL GUIDE: ORGANIZING YOUR ARGUMENT  

Checking Transitions

THINKING CRITICALLY: Using Transitions in Argument  

Uses of an Outline  

A Checklist for Organizing an Argument  

Tone and the Writer’s Persona  

THINKING CRITICALLY: Eliminating We, One, and I  

A Checklist for Establishing Tone and Persona 

Avoiding Sexist Language 

Peer Review  

A Checklist for Peer Review  

A Student’s Essay, from Rough Notes to Final Version  

Emily Andrews, Why I Don’t Spare “Spare Change� (student essay)  

8 Using Sources  

Why Use Sources?  

Entering a Discourse  

Understanding Information Literacy  

Choosing a Topic  

A Checklist for Approaching a Topic  

Finding Sources  

VISUAL GUIDE: FINDING DISCOURSE ON YOUR TOPIC  

Finding Quality Information Online  

Finding Articles Using Library Databases  

THINKING CRITICALLY: Using Search Terms  

Locating Books  

Evaluating Sources  

Scholarly, Popular, and Trade Sources  

Evaluating Online Sources  

A Checklist for Identifying Reliable Websites  

A Checklist for Identifying Fake News  

Considering How Current Sources Are  

A Checklist for Evaluating Sources  

Performing Your Own Primary Research  

Interviewing Peers and Local Authorities 

Conducting Observations  

Conducting Surveys  

Research in Archives and Special Collections  

Synthesizing Sources  

Taking Notes  

A Note on Plagiarizing  

A Checklist for Avoiding Plagiarism  

Compiling an Annotated Bibliography  

Quoting from Sources  

VISUAL GUIDE: INTEGRATING QUOTATIONS  

Thinking Critically: Using Signal Phrases  

Documentation  

A Note on Footnotes (and Endnotes)  

MLA Format: Citations within the Text  

MLA Format: The List of Works Cited  

An Annotated Student Research Paper in MLA Format  

Lesley Timmerman, An Argument for Corporate Responsibility (student essay)  

APA Format: Citations within the Text  

APA Format: The List of References    

An Annotated Student Research Paper in APA Format  

Hannah Smith Brooks, Does Ability Determine Expertise? (student essay)  

PART TWO Further Views on Argument  

9 A Philosopher’s View: The Toulmin Model  

Understanding the Toulmin Model  

VISUAL GUIDE: THE TOULMIN METHOD  

Components of the Toulmin Model  

The Claim  

Grounds  

Warrants  

Backing  

Modal Qualifiers  

Rebuttals  

THINKING CRITICALLY: Constructing a Toulmin Argument  

Putting the Toulmin Method to Work: Responding to an Argument  

*Jonathan Safran Foer, Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast

Thinking with the Toulmin Method  

A Checklist for Using the Toulmin Method  

10 A Logician’s View: Deduction, Induction, and Fallacies  

Using Formal Logic for Critical Thinking  

Visual Guide: Deduction and Induction

Examples of Deduction  

Observation and Inference  

Probability  

Mill’s Methods  

Fallacies  

VISUAL GUIDE: COMMON FALLACIES

Fallacies of Ambiguity  

Fallacies of Presumption  

Fallacies of Irrelevance  

A Checklist for Evaluating an Argument with Logic  

Additional Fallacies  

THINKING CRITICALLy: Identifying Fallacies  

Max Shulman, Love Is a Fallacy 

11 A Psychologist’s View: Rogerian Argument  

Rogerian Argument: An Introduction  

VISUAL GUIDE: ROGERIAN ARGUMENT  

A Checklist for Analyzing Rogerian Argument  

Carl R. Rogers, Communication: Its Blocking and Its Facilitation  

*Lewis Oakley, Is It Time to Retire the Word “Privileged�?  

Appendix: Sentence Guides for Academic Writers

Index of Authors, Titles, and Terms

Popular Textbooks

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association

American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association

ISBN-13: 9781433805615

Campbell Biology

Lisa Urry, Lisa A. Urry, Michael Cain, Michael L. Cain, Steven Wasserman, Steven A. Wasserman, Peter V. Minorsky, Peter Minorsky, Jane B. Reece, Jane Reece

ISBN-13: 9780134093413

From Inquiry to Academic Writing: A Text and Reader

Stuart Greene, April Lidinsky

ISBN-13: 9781319071233

Give Me Liberty!

ISBN-13: 9780393614190

Brain & Behavior: An Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience

Bob Garrett, Bob L. Garrett, Gerald Hough, Gerald E. Hough

ISBN-13: 9781506349206

The Art of Public Speaking (Communication) Standalone Book

Lucas, Stephen Lucas

ISBN-13: 9780073523910

Get the Reddit app

Community for sharing free text books

REQUEST: From Critical Thinking to Argument a portable guide 7th edition

By continuing, you agree to our User Agreement and acknowledge that you understand the Privacy Policy .

Enter the 6-digit code from your authenticator app

You’ve set up two-factor authentication for this account.

Enter a 6-digit backup code

Create your username and password.

Reddit is anonymous, so your username is what you’ll go by here. Choose wisely—because once you get a name, you can’t change it.

Reset your password

Enter your email address or username and we’ll send you a link to reset your password

Check your inbox

An email with a link to reset your password was sent to the email address associated with your account

Choose a Reddit account to continue