PHIL110Critical Thinking – SPS CUNY

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-climate-

highlights/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.

https://unfccc.int/resource/annualreport/

https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/state-climate-highlights/2017

https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/state-climate-highlights/2017

PHIL110 Critical Thinking – SPS CUNY

• 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.

https://calthomas.com/columns/climate-change-hoax-exposed

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming_conspiracy_theory

PHIL110 Critical Thinking – SPS CUNY

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

PHIL110 Critical Thinking – SPS CUNY

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.