Critical Thinking ─ An Introduction to the Basic Skills

Hughes and Lavery’s Critical Thinking is a hugely successful, comprehensive introduction to the essential skills of good reasoning, refined through seven editions published over more than two decades. Now, for the first time, the book is available in a shortened format, offering a succinct presentation of the essential elements of reasoning that doesn’t sacrifice any of the rigor or sophistication found in the standard edition. The authors provide a thorough treatment of such central topics as deductive and inductive reasoning, logical fallacies, how to recognize and avoid ambiguity, and how to distinguish what is relevant from what is not. A companion website provides a range of interesting supplements, including interactive review questions and readings on such topics as machine intelligence, gun rights, and marijuana legislation.

The late William Hughes was Professor and Chair in the Philosophy Department at the University of Guelph.Jonathan Lavery is Associate Professor of Society, Culture, and Environment at Wilfrid Laurier University, Brantford.