Finding the Facts

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Chapter 8 Finding the Facts
Critical Thinking-Tools for Ethical
Decisions When Facts Are At Issue Moral
disagreements are about values but also
facts. Some philosophers have argued that facts,
not values, are actually the crux of most moral
disagreements. The devil is in the details
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Chapter 8 Finding the Facts
What Facts Are At Issue? Facts can be confusing,
misleading and inaccurate. Three kinds of
statistics Death PenaltyWhy does society permit
it? Critical Thinking Questions What
facts/evidence support its use? What societies
have it and which societies do not? What are the
comparisons?
How would you get evidence for or against the
claimed deterrence effect? Other critical
thinking questions?
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Chapter 8 Finding the Facts
What Facts Are At Issue? Gun Control Why does
society permit it? Critical Thinking
Questions How many lives, for example, do guns
take? Compare other countries, what are the
facts? Who has it and who does not have it.
What is the evidence?
Other critical thinking questions?
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Chapter 8 Finding the Facts
What Facts Are At Issue? Marijuana- Why doesnt
society permit it? Critical Thinking
Questions What would happen if marijuana use
were legalized? How do we find out? Can we make
comparisons with other countries? How dangerous
is the stuff? Other critical thinking questions?

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Chapter 8 Finding the Facts
What Facts Are At Issue? Women in the military
Why does society permit it?
Critical Thinking Questions What actually have
been the results of women in fighting positions
in the military? Have they jeopardized the
safety of fellow soldiers or marines? What
affect does it have on families? Is it different
than men? Other critical thinking questions.
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Chapter 8 Finding the Facts
Getting the Facts. Some issues are simple while
others are quite complex to discover
facts. Question What percent of the federal
budget goes to welfare? Means tested by
income Food stamps, unemployment compensation,
welfare block grants to states, child nutrition
programs and Medicaid. Results 12
(1996) Entitlement Social security, veterans
benefits, Medicare, earned income tax credits,
student loans and grants, refugee assistance,
etc. Results 60 (1996)
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Chapter 8 Finding the Facts
Getting the Facts. Studies can show opposites
occurring. Conflicting data. What appears to be
obvious is not. Look deeper! Capital
punishment Increased and decreased No absolutes
in conclusions Dont give up! No evidence or
just opinions is morally irresponsible
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Chapter 8 Finding the Facts
Sources Library/Librarians Books and
Journals Ethics Web sites Peer Review Get Both
Sides of the Story Authors credentials
Research Impartial Scientific Journals Tone of
sources, extreme or simplistic, attacking,
demeaning Arguments on both sides presented
Media bias
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Chapter 8 Finding the Facts

• Inferences
• Facts to conclusions
• Generalizations
• Small sample-limited data, a few examples-to
  stand for the whole.
• Good generalizations do three things
• Cites specific and clear examples.
• Cites many examples. More than antidotal
• Cites representative examples, not all of one
  type, and give enough
• background information to allow us to
  evaluate for ourselves how
• significant and representative the examples
  are.
• Example Innocent death row inmates are executed

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Chapter 8 Finding the Facts

• Comparisons
• Seemingly similar situations
• A good comparison does two things
• Cities as a comparison a clear case about which
  true claims are made.
• Cites as a comparison a relevantly similar case.
• Example
• Argument Gun control in the United States is
  necessary since it reduces
• homicides in Singapore. Is the comparison valid?

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Chapter 8 Finding the Facts

• Inferring Cause from Correlation
• Cause and effect relationship
• Example
• Violence on TV correlates with real-life
  violence.
• A good argument from correlation to cause
• Cities accurate correlations
• Explains how the (proposed) cause leads to the
  (proposed) effect
• Argues that the proposed cause-effect
  relationship is the best explanation
• of the correlation.
• A B

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Exercises and Notes Identify the Facts at
Issue Page 144 Finding the Facts Page 145