Logic

Critical Thinking :
rd
3 Mental Act
(Reasoning)

Prof. Isabel De Leon, Ed.D

Reynaldo M. Vianzon Jr.
BSN-3
INTRODUCTION

You assist an evil system most effectively by obeying its orders

and decrees. An evil system never deserves such allegiance.
Allegiance to it means partaking of the evil. A good person will resist
an evil system with his or her whole soul. - - Mahatma Gandhi
Critical thinking is the disciplined, intellectual process of applying
skillful reasoning as a guide to belief or action. In nursing, critical
thinking for clinical decision-making is the ability to think in a
systematic and logical manner with openness to question and reflect
on the reasoning process used to ensure safe nursing practice and
quality care (Heaslip). Critical thinking when developed in the
practitioner includes adherence to intellectual standards, proficiency in
using reasoning, a commitment to develop and maintain intellectual
traits of the mind and habits of thought and the competent use of
thinking skills and abilities for sound clinical judgments and safe
decision-making.

MEANING
"Critical" as used in the expression "critical thinking" connotes the
importance or centrality of the thinking to an issue, question or
problem of concern. "Critical" in this context does not mean
"disapproval" or "negative." There are many positive and useful uses of
critical thinking, for example formulating a workable solution to a
complex personal problem.

DEFINITION
Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and
skillfully
conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating
information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience,
reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and
action.

Inference - is the act or process of deriving logical conclusions from

premises known or assumed to be true. The conclusion drawn is also
called an idiomatic. The laws of valid inference are studied in the field
of logic.
Inferential thinking is composite of premises or reasons wherein
the unknown can be inferred. What is inferred is the conclusion. It
begins on what we know called the known. An inference, therefore, is
a process of drawing a conclusion from a premise. Judgment is reached
indirectly through a third idea or the middle term or through a series of
third related ideas.

Methods of Inference
1.
Deduction the term deduction is deduced from deduco
meaning I lead down. Deduction is an inferential process wherein the
mind conclude with certainty from a universal / general principle /
knowledge / judgment, to the particular. The premises contain
conclusive evidence for the truth of the conclusion.
Example:

All tax evaders are corrupt people

But all opportunists are tax evaders
We may infer that, all opportunists are corrupt people.

2.
Induction The term induction is deduced from induco meaning
I lead into. Induction is an inferential thinking that concludes from
individual, or particular to the universal. It claims that its premises
furnish only some amount of probability, but not certainty to its
conclusion.
Example:

My pen, papers, book and erasers are my personal things.

But my personal things are expensive.
Therefore, all my personal things are expensive.

Theoretical Framework
2

Kinds of Inference
1.
Immediate Inference springs directly from a single premise to a
conclusion without the mediation of any other premise. A conclusion is
drawn from a single premise. The given proposition is called the
premise and the proposition deduced or inferred from it is called the
conclusion.
2.
Mediate Inference the inferential thinking process passes from
one proposition to another through a medium. It is called the middle
term or another proposition. There is not only a new proposition, but
also a new truth, which is drawn by the mind from the first proposition
through a medium.
Mediate inference is a mental process. Thus, it exist only in the mind.
To represent the argument existing in the mind, it must be expressed
by a syllogism.
Syllogism is an external representation of an argument.
Etymologically, it is deduced from Greek syn-legein or syn-logos,
which, means, to think in a connected manner. It is a series od
propositions, viz., first, Major Premise; third, the Conclusion. The
conclusion is necessarily derived from the two given premises.
Syllogism - is a kind of logical argument that applies deductive
reasoning to arrive at a conclusion based on two or more propositions
that are asserted or assumed to be true.

Kinds of Syllogism
1.
Categorical Syllogism a deductive argument consisting of three
categorical propositions that contain exactly three terms, each of
which occurs in exactly two of the propositions. This process of
reasoning is grounded on self-evident logical axioms, deduced from the
metaphysical principles of identity and contradiction.
2.
Hypothetical Syllogism it is a kind wherein at least one
proposition is a hypothetical proposition. It does not involve a direct
assertion of agreement or disagreement between the subject and the
predicate. They express the dependence of the truth or falsity of one
statement upon the truth or falsity of another statement.

Varieties of Categorical Syllogism

1.
The Enthymeme - is an abbreviated or shortened type of
categorical syllogism in that one of its premises or its conclusion is left
unexpressed. Enthymemes are of three categories, distinguished on
the basis of the missing [art of an argument.
2.
The Epichireme - is a type of categorical syllogism whose
premise or premise are provided with proofs. The proof is often joined
with the premise with a causal connective such as for, because,
since, due to, and so on.
3.
The Polysyllogism - is a chain of syllogisms which are constructed
in a manner that the conclusion of the first syllogism serves as the
premise of the next, and so on. The word polysyllogism is derived
from the Greek word poly which means many. For the syllogism to be
valid each individual syllogism must be valid by observing the rules of
simple syllogism. Just one invalid individual syllogism in the series will
render the whole chain of syllogism invalid.
4.
The Dilemma - is a type of syllogism which combines the
conditional and the disjunctive propositions. The major premise
consists of two or more additional propositions. The minor premise is a
disjunction proposition that their affirms the antecedents or denies the
consequents of each of the simple conditional propositions. The
dilemma is either constructive or destructive in form.

Bibliography
5
Nabor-Nery, Maria Imelda, Fundamentals of Logic, Metro Manila, 2007.
http://www.wikipedia.com/
Ellen Block, (September 15, 2013). How to deal with Logic. Teen
Booklist (Online). HelenSmith@wellington.com
Stevenson, Rhoda , (January 28, 2014). Humor and immorality. Mind
Over Matter (Online). Stevesononline@rehpublishing.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Introduction
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1
Meaning
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1
Definition
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1
Inference.
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2
Methods of
Inference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2
Theoretical Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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3
Kinds of Inference
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4
Kinds of
Syllogism
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4
Varieties of Categorical Syllogism
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5
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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6