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Critical Thinking Exam Draft 2022

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18 views3 pages

Critical Thinking Exam Draft 2022

Uploaded by

Liz Jones
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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THE UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA

SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES


DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY & APPLIED ETHICS

2021/2022 END OF YEAR FINAL EXAMINATION

PHI 1020: CRITICAL THINKING

TIME: THREE (3) HOURS

INSTRUCTIONS: Answer all the questions in Sections A and B.


_____________________________________________

SECTION A [40 Marks]


Answer all questions in this section.
1. Which of the following can you identify with critical thinking?
A. Quarrelling about important matters
B. Attempting to win arguments
C. Strengthening your opponent’s arguments
D. Respecting everyone’s opinion

2. Which of the following is not an indicator term for arguments?


A. For
B. Since
C. Further
D. As

3. Which one of the following best describes deductive arguments?


A. They move from the general to the specific.
B. They normally have true premises.
C. Their premises are said to be strong rather than true or false.
D. The truth of the premises can guarantee the truth of the premises.

4. An analogical argument concerning P and Q is weak if ….


A. P and Q have some relevant similarities between them.
B. The there are many similarities between P and Q.
C. There is an important disanalogy between P and Q
D. The argument is being presented by a pastor.

1
5. The worst approach to assessing the reliability of news sources is to …
A. Judge the credibility of all sources
B. Compare the content of several news sources
C. Rely only on news sources that support your existing views
D. Consider alternative views

6. We must accept the conclusion of a deductive argument if and only if the argument is.
A. Strong
B. Cogent
C. Valid
D. Sound

7. Which of the following is not an indicator word or phrase?


A. As a result
B. Inference
C. Hence
D. Since

8. Deductive arguments are said to be truth-preserving because


A. Only the truth shall set you free.
B. Logic is important for preserving the truth in society.
C. The conclusion is always true.
D. The conclusion will necessarily be true if the premises are true.

9. In deciding whether to believe Wankumbu’s testimony in court about what she saw, which
of the following is irrelevant.
A. She had drunk some Mosi.
B. She had put her spectacles in her handbag to prevent breaking.
C. The room had psychedelic lighting.
D. She’s God-fearing.

10. Which of the following is not relevant is deciding whether to believe a professor’s claims.
A. Vested interests.
B. Area of expertise
C. Political affiliation
D. Marital status

2
SECTION B [60 Marks]
Answer all questions in this section.
1. Express the following arguments in standard format. [10 Marks]

(a) “To name causes for a state of affairs is not to excuse it. Things are justified
or condemned by their consequences, not by their antecedents.”

(b) Neither a borrower nor lender be


For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.

2. “If Pharaoh was Egyptian, then the sky isn’t blue.” Determine the truth-value of this statement
using the Truth-Table method. [5 marks]

3. Epistemically evaluate the claim in the scenarios below and decide whether to accept, reject the
claim or suspend judgement about it. [20 marks]
(a) A toothpaste label claims to prevent dental cavities.
(b) A taxi driver tells you COVID-19 is a hoax.
(c) The BBC reports Kanye West has lost $1.3billion following antisemitic remarks.
(d) Your course mate tells you her brother gave her K2 on her fifth birthday.

4. State the fallacy in each of the following statements. Explain why you believe that the fallacy
you have identified has been committed. [15 Marks]

(a) My pastor is a great man of God, and he has said we are protected by the blood of Jesus
from any illnesses. Therefore, there is no need for me to have a COVID-19 vaccine.
(b) If Mwanja has unprotected sex with Albert, she will contract syphilis. Since Mwanja has
contracted syphilis, it follows that she had unprotected sex with Albert.
(c) Homosexuality is immoral because it is against Zambia’s culture.
(d) It’s my birthday today. Hence, pizza is delicious.
(e) My philosophy lecturer is an atheist. So, most philosophers are atheists.

5. For each of the following, state which criterion for making an inference to the best explanation,
if any, has been violated and thus rendering the argument weak. Explain your answer. [10
marks]
(a) There is an invisible teapot rotating around Jupiter that gives me my powers of
imagination.
(b) My car’s tyre came off because I hit a powerful subatomic particle travelling in the
opposite direction.
(c) “My car’s window is broken and my laptop is missing from it because the CIA stole it
thinking Vladmir Putin sent me some war secrets.” – Julius Kapembwa
(d) The lightning paralysed you but did not kill you because God loves you.
(e) Although I fished here all day, I didn’t catch any fish, because my fishing net was torn.

END OF EXAMINATION

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