Unit 4 Philosophy Question

Unit 4 Discussion Assignment
Climate Change or Fake Science?
Climate change is now affecting every country on every continent. Many believe that it is
disrupting national economies and negatively affecting people’s livelihoods. For this assignment,
you will be reviewing the UN Climate Change Annual Report and State of Climate Highlights
and practice your critical thinking skills by reconstructing arguments that employ inductive
generalizations and statistical syllogisms using date from these reports.
Step 1. Read the following and take good notes to yourself.
• UN Climate Change Annual Report
https://unfccc.int/resource/annualreport/
• 2017 State of the Climate Highlights
https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/state-climatehighlights/2017
Step 2
Using the data from these reports, compose and post your response to the following discussion
prompts:
• Reconstruct or create one argument about climate change, using data from one of the
reports that employs inductive generalizations. (Be sure to cite your sources properly!)
Tell us what is an ‘inductive generalization’ (use the textbook or video as your resource)
and why yours is a good example of it.
• Reconstruct or create one argument about climate change, using data from one of the
reports that employs statistical syllogisms. Tell us what is a ‘statistical syllogism’ and
why yours is a good example of it.
Then:
• Evaluate your statistical generalization: Does it have an adequate sample size and is it a
non-biased sample?
Then:
• Write your personal response on the topic of Global Climate change.
• On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being extremely urgent and 1 being not so urgent), how urgent of a
problem do you believe climate change is? Elaborate on your thoughts and use the
document to provide reasons and evidence for your claims.

What do you believe is the biggest obstacle (political, cultural, economic or scientific)
that we must overcome? Explain yourself.
• What do you personally do already, or what can you do in the future to ‘take action’?
Step 3
Critical Thinkers’ Peer Response: Or maybe it’s fake science, and climate change is a hoax…?
You’ve probably heard some opinions that claim the possibility of climate change being nothing
but fake science. Before you respond to your classmates in this Discussion Forum, read a few of
these views and begin to detect habits of good and bad thinking. Here are a couple to get you
started or find your own (there are too many of these out there!):
https://calthomas.com/columns/climate-change-hoax-exposed
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming_conspiracy_theory
In your response to other students, use what you’ve learned so far about good and bad habits of
Critical Thinking (reviewing the following handout as needed) and identify examples of good
and bad questions, good and bad habits of thinking in regards to the Climate Change
debate.

Handout for a Critical Thinker ‘s Peer Response
Bad Questions:
• Rhetorical Questions
• Leading Questions
• Loaded Questions
• Obstructionist Questions
• Framing Questions
• Empty Questions
Bad Habits of Thinking:
• Self-Interest
• Saving Face
• Peer Pressure
• Stereotyping and Prejudice
• Excessive Skepticism
• Intellectual Laziness
• Relativism (Subjective or Cultural)
Good Questions:
• Direct
• Useful
• Open and Creative
Good Habits of Critical Thinking
• Be Curious
• Be Self-aware
• Be Healthy
• Be Courageous
• Be Reasonably Skeptical
• Think for Yourself
• Keep it Simple
• Be Precise
• Be Patient
• Be Consistent
• Be Open-Minded
• Ask for Help

Recommendations for Success and Grading Criteria:
• Respond to the assignment with clear and detailed answers, organized thoughts.
• Follow all assignment prompts and answers all prompt questions.
• Incorporate relevant examples and evidence to support claims.
• Write clearly and without errors a well-composed answer and post it on time.
• Respond to other students with interesting comments and follow-up
questions. Acknowledge all students who commented on your post.

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