Masterclass: Arguments and Critical Thinking

Arguments are formal structures that outline how new beliefs (conclusions) are justified on the basis of existing beliefs (premises).

They help us to contextualise our reasoning and hence apply it in real-world situations. The fashioning and evaluation of arguments is fundamental to our idea of reasoning and of critical thought, in as much as the critical aspect is analytical and evaluative. Argumentation provides the framework in which critical thinking can effectively occur.

The construction, analysis and evaluation of arguments requires that a broad range of thinking skills is brought to bear in a framework that provides a focus for cognition and a direction for progress. Argumentation, therefore, is an essential component of teaching for thinking.

This masterclass will look at how to understand, construct and evaluate arguments and to make their production and analysis a central pedagogical focus