The Art of Straight Thinking

This book undertakes a big, important job and does it well. The author aims to help students break through mass of prejudiced feelings and notions which beset good thinking. He proposes to make it possible for them to arrive at conclusions rationally, instead of emotionally. He goes about business both negatively and positively, considering not only causes, but also cures of prejudice. The examples of unwarranted bias make an extraordinarily rich collection. The matter is not left there, however, for ways and means of arriving at more valid results are described. The study includes chapters dealing with essentials of syllogistic, experimental, and statistical logic, as well as freer methods of thinking, such as analogy and circumstantial evidence. In each case reader will find treatment suggestive and its illustrations telling. Throughout discussion one is aware of author's strong conviction which, in words he quotes from Bertrand Russell, is that the hopes of world must rest on habit of forming opinions on evidence rather than on passions. In a longer review than here permitted, one would feel called upon to demur here and there. Personally, I should feel compelled to approach problem of straight in a more hesitant frame of mind than author does. It would also seem to me desirable to encourage in college students feeling that no one is more prone to go wrong in his thinking than man who has too much confidence in his ability to go right. But I suppose that office of coach calls for faith, not doubt. Nevertheless it must be confessed, I believe, that clever and able and documented as treatment is, it does not deal adequately with basic principles. It might have been better if subjects which author had to read up on-those dealing with logic in stricter sense-had been omitted, and rest more fundamentally done. Unless student is led to appreciate underlying principles, he is in effect encouraged to substitute one set of snap judgments for those he is taught to put aside. M. C. OTTO University of Wisconsin

Epistemology · Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Sociology · Philosophy · Psychology · Statistics Education and Methodologies

• Progressive propaganda critics and the magic bullet myth

  J Michael Sproule•Critical Studies in Mass…•1989

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