Description
Book SynopsisOur ability to think, argue and reason is determined by our ability to question. Questions are a vital component of critical thinking, yet we underestimate the role they play.
Using Questions to Think puts questioning back in the spotlight.Naming the parts of questions at the same time as we name parts of thought, this one-of-a-kind introduction allows us to see how questions relate to the definitions of propositions, premises, conclusions, and the validity of arguments. Why is this important? Making the role of questions visible in thinking reasoning and dialogue, allows us to:- Ask better questions- Improve our capability to understand an argument - Exercise vigilance in the act of questioning- Make explicit what you already know implicitly- Engage with ideas that contradict our own- See ideas in broader contextBreathing new life into our current approach to critical thinking, this practical, much-needed textbook moves us away from the traditional focus on formal argument and
Trade ReviewDrawing on hermeneutic phenomenology, Dickman focuses inquiry on the necessity of genuine questioning for understanding and sense. Elegantly organized and including a helpful appendix for instructors, this insightful text offers a fresh approach and will be a welcome addition to courses in critical thinking, philosophy of language, and more. * Robert H. Scott, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of North Georgia, USA *
Drawing on phenomenology, hermeneutics, and the philosophy of language, this text explores both the technical and existential dimensions of reasoning. Through challenging yet inviting prose, Dickman offers a welcome and innovative approach to critical thinking that brings students along on an authentic philosophical journey into the nature of questioning. * Rebecca Scott, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Harper College, USA *
Table of ContentsPreface Introduction: An Age of Answers
Part I: Make Questions Explicit for Thinking 1. Thinking Only Happens in Complete Thoughts 2. What Do Questions Do to Complete Thoughts? 3. A Logic of Question-and-Answer
Part II: Make Questions Explicit for Reasoning 4. Reasoning Only Happens in Explicit Arguments 5. What Do Questions Do to Arguments? 6. A Rationality of Questioning-and-Reasoning
Part III: Make Questions Explicit in Dialogue 7. Dialogue Only Happens in Constructive Reconciliations 8. What Do Questions Do to Dialogues? 9. A Dialectic of Questionability-and-Responsibility Conclusion: The End(s) of Questions Appendix for Instructors Glossary Bibliography Index
