Critical Thinking: Distinguishing between Inferences and Assumptions.
2002; Volume: 25; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
0894-3907
Autores Tópico(s)Education and Critical Thinking Development
ResumoTo be skilled in critical thinking is to be able to take one's thinking apart systematically, to analyze each part, assess it for quality and then improve it. The first step in this process is understanding the parts of thinking or elements of reasoning. These elements are: purpose, question, information, inference, assumption, point of view, concepts, and implications. They are present in the mind whenever we reason. To take command of our thinking, we need to formulate both our purpose and the question at issue clearly. We need to use information in our thinking that is both relevant to the question we are dealing with, and accurate. We need to make logical inferences based on sound assumptions. We need to understand our own point of view and fully consider other relevant viewpoints. We need to use concepts justifiably and follow out the implications of decisions we are considering. In previous columns, we have focused on one or more of the elements of reasoning. In this column we focus on two of them: inferences and assumptions. Learning to distinguish inferences from assumptions is an important intellectual skill. Many confuse the two elements. Let us begin with a review of the basic meanings. Inferences Versus Assumptions An inference is a step of the mind, an intellectual act, by which one concludes that something is true in light of something else's being true, or seeming to be true. If you come at me with a knife in your hand, probably would infer that you mean to do me harm. Inferences can be accurate or inaccurate, logical or illogical, justified or unjustified. An assumption is something we take for granted or presuppose. Usually it is something we previously learned and do not question. It is part of our system of beliefs. We assume our beliefs to be true and use them to interpret the world about us. If we believe that it is dangerous to walk late at night in big cities and we are staying in Chicago, we will infer that it is dangerous to go for a walk late at night. We take for granted our belief that it is dangerous to walk late at night in big cities. If our belief is a sound one, our assumption is sound. If our belief is not sound, our assumption is not sound. Beliefs, and hence assumptions, can be unjustified or justified depending upon whether we do or do not have good reasons for them. Consider this example: I heard a scratch at the door. got up to let the cat My inference was based on the assumption (my prior belief) that only the cat makes that noise, and that he makes it only when he wants to be let in. We humans naturally and regularly use our beliefs as assumptions and make inferences based on those assumptions. We must do so to make sense of where we are, what we are about, and what is happening. Assumptions and inferences permeate our lives precisely because we cannot act without them. We make judgments, form interpretations, and come to conclusions based on the beliefs we have formed. If you put humans in any situation, they start to give it some meaning or other. People automatically make inferences to gain a basis for understanding and action. So quickly and automatically do we make inferences that we do not, without training, notice them as inferences. We see dark clouds and infer rain. We hear the door slam and infer that someone has arrived. We see a frowning face and infer that the person is upset. If our friend is late, we infer that she is being inconsiderate. We meet a tall guy and infer that he is good at basketball or an Asian and infer that she will be good at math. We read a book, and interpret what the various sentences and paragraphs-in-- deed what the whole book-is saying. We listen to what people say and make a series of inferences as to what they mean. As we write, we make inferences as to what readers will interpret what we are writing. We make inferences as to the clarity of what we are saying, what requires further explanation, and what has to be exemplified or illustrated and what does not. …
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