Deck 13: Ideological Reasoning

Question 1

Saying that the argument maker takes the ideological absolutes on faith means ________.
(a) the conclusions of ideological arguments are presented as certain
(b) the premises are so profoundly obvious that they require no demonstration
(c) the persuasiveness of ideological reasoning is not open to doubt
(d) the validity of the ideological reasoning cannot be questioned

Answer 1

B

Question 2

What should strong critical thinkers do if their beliefs lead to contradictions?
(a) Revise or abandon one or more of our beliefs.
(b) Take comfort in knowing that over the course of time the inconsistencies will be resolved.
(c) Contact an expert to ask for an opinion.
(d) Realize that it is nearly impossible for any belief system to be both comprehensively true.
(e) Embrace the mystery.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

If the person who makes an ideological argument gives a reason why one of the premises is true, then ________.
(a) that person has lost the argument
(b) a new argument has been made
(c) the conclusion is probably false
(d) the speaker is untrustworthy

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Ideological reasoning is a process of thinking that ________.
(a) begins with an expression of core values or beliefs
(b) begins with a hypothesis that is then tested scientifically
(c) begins with a helpful comparison that is simple and familiar
(d) begins with the evaluation of the speaker's credibility

Question 5

Because ideological belief structures are socially normative, ________.
(a) ideological arguments must be accepted
(b) those who disagree are seen as outsiders, ignorant, mistaken, abnormal, or dangerous
(c) the premises of ideological arguments can be disconfirmed experimentally
(d) people who make ideological arguments are untrustworthy

Question 6

Characterizing the premises of ideological arguments as axiomatic means that ________.
(a) the conclusions of ideological arguments are presented as certain
(b) the premises are starting points, first principles, or assumptions
(c) the persuasiveness of ideological reasoning is not open to doubt
(d) the validity of the ideological reasoning cannot be questioned

Question 7

When making ideological arguments, an outside source is apt to be ________.
(a) used simply to reinforce what the speaker is saying
(b) used for purposes of comparison and close analysis
(c) part of the systematic investigation of relevant data
(d) evidence to disconfirm the speaker's core beliefs

Question 8

Characterizing ideological reasoning as deductive means that ________.
(a) the conclusions of ideological arguments are presented as certain
(b) the premises of ideological arguments are presented as true
(c) the persuasiveness of ideological reasoning is not open to doubt
(d) the validity of the ideological reasoning cannot be questioned

Question 9

This mode of reasoning comes into play when the implications of one's religion, ethics, politics, rules, laws, regulations, or policies are the focus of concern:
(a) empirical
(b) comparative
(c) pragmatic
(d) ideological

Question 10

Why is it challenging to apply the test of the truthfulness of the premises to ideological arguments?
(a) because the speaker is usually an authoritative personality
(b) because people who accept ideologies are illogical
(c) because the ideology's core beliefs and values function as unspoken implicit assumptions
(d) because the ideological assumptions are fundamentally irrelevant

Question 11

When engaging in ideological reasoning, the argument maker ________.
(a) must have reasons to back up the ideological premises
(b) allows experts to attempt to sway his or her opinion
(c) takes the ideological premises on faith
(d) uses science to convince his or her listeners

Question 12

In court when the prosecuting attorney argues that a legal principle implies that the jury must find the defendant guilty, the lawyer is using _______________ reasoning.
(a) comparative
(b) ideological
(c) empirical
(d) causal
(e) correlational

Question 13

Arguing that value judgments ought neither to be made nor accepted is ________.
(a) like arguing for a value judgment
(b) essential to preserve objectivity
(c) entailed by the use of comparative reasoning
(d) justified by the application of empirical reasoning

Question 14

Which of the following primarily depends upon ideological reasoning?
(a) Randolph knows that John Glenn was a senator. John Glenn was an astronaut. Therefore Randolph knows that John Glenn was an astronaut.
(b) The animal rights activists defended themselves by saying: "We did not steal any animals from the lab. We rescued those monkeys because they were the helpless victims of torture."
(c) Everyone loves ice cream. So don't try to tell me that Louis doesn't want to eat his ice cream.
(d) Either we'll study together tonight for tomorrow's exam, or we will both blow it off. I'm too tired to study tonight. So, we're going to blow it off.

Question 15

When evaluating ideological arguments, perhaps the most important of the four tests of the acceptability of an argument is the test of ________.
(a) the truthfulness of the premises
(b) logical strength
(c) relevance
(d) non-circularity

Question 16

What is another term for ideological reasoning?
(a) pro-and-con thinking
(b) give-and-take thinking
(c) this-is-like-that thinking
(d) bottom-up thinking
(e) top-down thinking

Question 17

Ideological arguments will generally pass the test of logical strength because most of the time ________.
(a) they are the products of warranted inductive reasoning
(b) there is nobody around who has the courage to disagree
(c) their premises are true
(d) they are often the products of valid deductive reasoning

Question 18

Which of the following statements about ideological reasoning is true?
(a) It is the same as comparative reasoning.
(b) It is useful for determining what our beliefs imply.
(c) It is the same as empirical reasoning.
(d) It is permitted in legal proceedings.

Question 19

Which of the following does not primarily depend upon ideological reasoning?
(a) Government entitlement programs stimulate economic growth. So we need to fund the Small Business Administration's program that connects retired executives as advisors to the owners of mom-and-pop businesses.
(b) Government entitlement programs are colossal wastes of taxpayer fund. So we need to discontinue the practice of permitting ranchers to graze their cattle on Federal land.
(c) When you use ideological reasoning as foundation for arguments it can be like trying to build a house on a sand dune.
(d) "Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is far better than not to think at all," argued the respected scholar Hypatia of Alexandria more than fifteen hundred years ago.

Question 20

Which of the following primarily depends upon ideological reasoning?
(a) To those who would dismiss evolution as "only a theory," The National Center for Science Education Web site proposes this analogy: "Evolution is only a theory in the same way that Universal Gravity is only a theory."
(b) No animals capable of tool making, social interaction, and language deserve to be put in zoos or used for medical experiments. It follows that our treatment of chimpanzees is a deplorable and unethical violation of their basic rights.
(c) I know several people who believe that it is OK to cheat on their taxes just a little bit. Like not reporting all their cash income. Or, by padding their business travel expenses.
(d) Whenever I play the lottery, the number I put in is my birthday. If that's not my lucky number, then I don't have one.

Question 21

If the speaker gives an additional reason to establish that a given premise is true, then the speaker has made a new argument; then first map the new argument (reason + claim). After that _______________ the new argument by using the four tests of the acceptability of an argument and, if applicable, the five criteria for evaluating comparative reasoning.

Question 22

What are some of the benefits of ideological reasoning?

Question 23

What does it take to challenge powerful people who use their ideological orientation to cause harm? And why?

Question 24

What is meant by describing ideological reasoning as deductive in character?

Question 25

What can a strong critical thinker do to expand his or her sensitivities and monitor the tendency to accept uncritically the ideological beliefs and values, which are a natural part of the culture?

Question 26

What is meant by describing a claim as metaphysical?

Question 27

Describe what it means to call a claim metaphysical? Why is that important when considering the worthiness of ideological arguments?

Question 28

Why is our level of faith and conviction not a measure of the truth of the beliefs we hold?

Question 29

Explain what it means to say that ideological reasoning constrains as well as empowers.

Question 30

Ideological reasoning begins with a specific observable situation and proceeds to an abstract or generalized conclusion about beliefs and values.

Question 31

If the argument maker asks the listener to accept the argument maker himself or herself as the source of the truth of a given premise, evaluate the ______________ of the argument maker by applying the 12 criteria for trustworthy expertise.

Question 32

What are some of the risks associated with ideological reasoning?

Question 33

If the speaker gives an additional reason to establish that a given premise is true, then the speaker has made a new argument. The first thing to do in evaluating that new argument is to _________ the new argument (reason + claim).

Question 34

What is meant by saying that in the case of ideological reasoning the argument maker takes the ideological absolutes on faith.

Question 35

Why do arguments based on religious or political ideologies generally pass the Test of Relevance?

Question 36

If the argument maker asserts that a given premise is to be accepted as self-evident, evaluate the premise as a ___________ made in the absence of any supporting reasons or credible expert source.

Question 37

What is meant by describing the premises of ideological arguments as axiomatic?

Question 38

If the argument maker cites some other source or sources as basis for believing that a given premise is true, evaluate the ____________ of the other source or sources by applying 12 criteria for trustworthy expertise

Question 39

Shared ideological convictions play no particular role in shaping social groups and determining personal identities.

Question 40

When we offer an ideological argument, we treat the reasons for our claims as hypotheses and not as a statement of fact.