While explaining critical thinking skills, it is helpful to use the metaphor of a sphere with the names of the skills displayed randomly over its surface. Why is a sphere used for this purpose?

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First, organizing the names of the skills on a sphere is truer to our lived experience of engaging in reflective judgment. We have all experienced those moments when, in the mental space of a few seconds, our minds fly from interpretation to analysis to inference and evaluation as we try to sort out our thoughts before we commit ourselves to a particular decision. We may go back and forth interpreting what we are seeing, analyzing ideas and drawing tentative inferences, trying to be sure that we have things right before we make a judgment. Second, a sphere does not presume any given order of events, which, for the present, is truer to the current state of the science. Maybe brain research will lead to refinements in our understanding of the biochemical basis and sequencing of higher order reasoning, but for the present, we should not jump to conclusions. Third, a sphere reminds us about another important characteristic of critical thinking skills, namely that each can be applied to the other and to themselves. We can analyze our inferences. We can analyze our analyses. We can explain our interpretations. We can evaluate our explanations. We can monitor those processes and correct any mistakes we might see ourselves making. In this way, the core critical thinking skills can be said to interact.

Philosophy & Belief

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Ethics is the area of philosophy that _____

Fill in the blank(s) with the appropriate word(s).

Philosophy & Belief

Describe how areas of influence are typically divided between Shinto and Buddhism in Japan. How might this be evident at a Japanese temple complex?

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Philosophy & Belief

As outlined by John Boatright in "Occupational Health and Safety", in the Whirlpool case the Supreme Court ruled that employees are justified in their refusal to work and need not request an OSHA inspection in the case of "imminent danger"

Indicate whether the statement is true or false

Philosophy & Belief

Assess the following as probably true, as probably false, as requiring further documentation before judgment, or as a claim that cannot properly be evaluated. Consider both the nature of the claim and the source.Reported after a debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, who were running for the Democratic nomination for the presidency in 2008: "James Carville, a Clinton advisor and supporter, declared his candidate the 'winner' in the debate, saying she'd made her case more strongly."

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Philosophy & Belief