Critical thinking involves not just thinking, but thinking in a way that evaluates something. Evaluation can take different forms, but it basically boils down to placing a value on something. So, in thinking critically, you are figuring out whether or not it is true; accurate; clear; valid; good; etc. These are all forms of value judgments.

Before you can criticize anything, however, you have to understand what you are criticizing. If you dont, then your criticism doesnt apply. You cannot accurately criticize that which you do not understand.

Hence, this essay assignment is an exercise in understanding. In particular, this is an exercise in exposition. Well talk more about exposition in a later unit. For now, all you have to understand is that exposition is explaining and teaching. You are NOT summarizing. Exposition is helping someone understand what it is that youre expositing. So, in order to exposit something, you need to have a pretty good understanding of it. (Can you imagine having to teach something you dont understand?)

Short Essay Assignment

Watch the following short video lecture: Belief Holism, Consistency, and Rationality. If the link does not work, you can copy and past the URL: https://youtu.be/W5IeXE9YcS8 (its about 16 minutes long).

Next, answer the following three short essay questions:

1. Explain in your own words the video lecture. Explain in a way that you are telling and teaching a friend the contents of the video.
2. Everyone has had inconsistent views. You may have come to believe something that was inconsistent with what you previously believed. This might have made you change your beliefs. What were those views and how were they inconsistent? What did you do to resolve them?
3. Think of a time when someone held inconsistent views. This could be a friend, family member, a politician, a celebrity, etc. What were the inconsistent views and how were they inconsistent? What would be the best way to resolve the inconsistency?