CRITICAL THINKING

(SOCI-03848)
Lecture # 02
Instructor: Dr. Waqas Anjum
Assistant professor
Department of Electronic Engineering
Faculty of Engineering
The Islamia University of Bahawalpur
Claims and reasons
• A claim is a statement or assertion that something is
true or false. It is often the main point or argument that
a person or organization is making.
• A reason is the justification or evidence that supports a
claim. It is the explanation for why a claim is true or
false.
• The difference between a claim and a reason is that a
claim is the statement or argument being made, while a
reason is the evidence or justification that supports that
claim. A claim is the "what" of an argument, while a
reason is the "why" of an argument.
Claims and reasons examples
• Claim: Eating a healthy diet can help prevent heart disease.
Reason: Studies have shown that diets high in fruits, vegetables, and whole
grains, and low in saturated fat, can lower cholesterol and blood pressure,
which are major risk factors for heart disease.

• Claim: Climate change is caused by human activity.

Reason: The burning of fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases, such as carbon
dioxide, into the atmosphere. These gases trap heat, causing the Earth's surface to
warm. This warming, known as global warming, is causing climate change.
Claims and reasons examples contd.
• Claim: Vaccines are safe and effective in preventing diseases. Reason: Vaccines work by
introducing a small, weakened or inactivated form of a disease-causing microbe into the
body. This allows the immune system to build immunity to the disease without the
person getting sick. Vaccines have been extensively studied and are determined to be
safe and effective by multiple scientific organizations and health authorities.
• Claim: Capital punishment is morally wrong. Reason: Capital punishment is the state-
sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for a crime. It is morally wrong because it
violates the principle that human life is valuable and should be protected. Additionally,
capital punishment is prone to errors and discrimination, and it does not provide an
opportunity for the offender to reform and make amends for their actions.
Claims and reasons examples contd..
• Claim: A digital signal is more immune to noise than an analog signal. Reason: A digital
signal is a signal that is represented by a discrete set of values, whereas an analog signal
is a signal that is represented by a continuous range of values. Digital signals are less
affected by noise because any noise that is added to the signal will only slightly alter the
discrete values, whereas it will have a more significant impact on the continuous range of
values of an analog signal.
• Claim: A microcontroller is a better choice than a microprocessor for a particular
application. Reason: A microcontroller is a type of microprocessor that includes on-board
memory, input/output (I/O) interfaces, and other peripherals. These additional
components make microcontrollers more suited for embedded applications that require
simple control and monitoring of multiple devices, whereas microprocessors are more
suited for general-purpose computing tasks.
Claims and reasons examples contd..
➢Claim: A Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design with a smaller trace width and spacing will
have better electrical performance.
➢Reason: The trace width and spacing of a PCB refer to the width and distance between
the conductive lines on the board. A PCB design with smaller trace width and spacing will
have better electrical performance because it reduces the resistance and inductance of
the trace, which in turn reduce the power loss and increase the high-frequency
performance of the circuit.
Types of claims
➢Objective Claims
➢Subjective claims
Objective claims are statements that can be verified or disproved by objective
evidence. They are based on facts, measurements, or observable phenomena that
are independent of personal opinions, feelings, or beliefs.
Examples of objective claims include:
• The Earth is round.
• Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius at sea level.
• Humans have 46 chromosomes
Types of claims contd..
Subjective claims, on the other hand, are statements that are based on
personal opinions, feelings, or beliefs and they cannot be verified by
objective evidence. They are influenced by individual perspectives and
personal experiences and can vary from person to person.
Examples of subjective claims include:
• The Mona Lisa is the most beautiful painting in the world.
• Chocolate is the best flavor of ice cream.
• The new iPhone is too expensive.
Importance of Claims and reasons
1. Establishing credibility: By making claims that are supported by reasoning, the speaker can
establish their expertise and credibility on the topic. This can help to build trust and
engagement with the audience.
2. Organizing information: Claims and reasoning can be used as an organizational structure for
a lecture. The speaker can make a series of claims about the topic and then provide
reasoning to support each claim. This can help to make the lecture more coherent and easy
to follow.
3. Encouraging critical thinking: By providing claims and reasoning, the speaker can encourage
the audience to engage in critical thinking and evaluate the credibility of the information
being presented. This can help to deepen the audience's understanding of the topic and
make the lecture more interactive.
4. Responding to counterclaims: When delivering a lecture, the speaker may encounter
counterclaims or objections to their arguments. By providing reasoning to support their
claims, the speaker can anticipate and respond to these counterclaims in a logical and well-
supported manner.
Claims and reasons. Learning outcomes
1. What is the difference between a claim and a reason?
2. Why is it important to provide reasoning when making a claim?
3. How can you evaluate the credibility of a claim and its reasoning?
4. How can claims and reasoning be used to evaluate the credibility of a source of information?
5. Can you identify the claim and reasoning in the following statement: "Eating a healthy diet can
help prevent heart disease. Studies have shown that diets high in fruits, vegetables, and whole
grains, and low in saturated fat, can lower cholesterol and blood pressure, which are major risk
factors for heart disease."
6. How can claims and reasoning be used to enhance the effectiveness of a lecture?
7. How can claims and reasoning be used to solve problems?
8. Why is it important to consider alternative perspectives when evaluating claims and reasoning?
9. How can claims and reasoning be used to make well-informed decisions?
Thank you