To read critically, we have to do the following:
One. Comprehend the author's purpose and meaning, which is expressed in the claim or thesis
Two. Examine the evidence, if any, that is used
Three. Find emotional appeals, if any, that are used
Four. Identify analogies and comparisons and analyze their legitimacy
Five. Look at the topic sentences to see how the author is building his or her claim
Six. Look for the appeals the author uses be they logic (logos), emotions (pathos), or authority (ethos).
Seven. Is the author's argument diminished by logical fallacies?
Eight. Do you recognize any bias in the essay that diminishes the author's argument?
Nine. Do we bring any prejudice that may compromise our ability to evaluate the argument fairly? For example, in the example below George Will writes that rape statistics are inflated and that being a rape victim is a coveted or desired status. I have twin daughters so I'm not friendly toward Will's argument before I even read the details of it.
Read George Will's Argument
George Will editorial on college victimization is a good critical reading task.
Critical Points About Will's Editorial
One. Liberalism or progessivism is an "intellectually defenseless" enterprise because it has made victimization (women rape victims) popular and ubiquitous (faulty inductive reasoning?)
Two. Will argues that a girlfriend can't be a rape victim from her boyfriend (what's the basis of his premise? Ignorance?)
Three. We can't call "loose women" in our drunken "hookup culture" victims of rape (Straw Man logical fallacy?)
Four. The statistic that liberals cite, that 20% of women are rape victims, is too high and based on an expanded definition of rape. In fact, our eagerness to call this many women rape victims is a "delusion."
Five. This "delusion" was brought to you by liberalism or progressivism, Will's enemy.
Daily Beast dissects George Will's commentary on women seeking status by being rape victims.
New Yorker writer also takes George Will to task.
Salon writer also refutes Will's claims.
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