The Critical Thinker Podcast (Video)
By Kevin deLaplante
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Podcast Description
The Critical Thinker Video Podcast explores what it means to think critically and independently about the issues that matter most to you. Join philosopher Kevin deLaplante as he explores the elements of critical thinking and answers listener questions about logic, argumentation, fallacies, the nature of scientific reasoning, the psychology of belief and persuasion, and a host of other topics. Note: iTunes also hosts an audio-only version of this podcast.
| Name | Description | Released | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VideoTCT 018: Critical Thinking About Conspiracies (Part 3): Conspiracies, Mind Control and Falsifiability | This is Part 3 of our multi-part series on critical thinking about conspiracies. In this episode we follow up on the discussion of "default skepticism" that was introduced in episode 017, and examine what happens to the dialectic between the skeptic an... | 12/21/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 2 | VideoTCT 017: Critical Thinking About Conspiracies | Part 2 | In episode 017 of the Critical Thinker Podcast we continue our series on critical thinking about CONSPIRACIES. - In the previous episode I introduced a view that I called "default skepticism" about conspiracy theories, | 11/12/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 3 | VideoTCT 016: Critical Thinking About Conspiracies | Part 1 | On this episode of The Critical Thinker Podcast we enter the fascinating world of CONSPIRACIES. I'd be happy to tell you all I know about the topic, but then I'd have to kill you. | 10/12/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 4 | VideoTCT 015: Confirmation Bias and the Evolution of Reason | In this episode I talk about a new approach to understanding confirmation bias that is getting some recent attention. It's known as the "argumentative theory of reason", and it claims that our ability to construct and evaluate arguments evolved in ance... | 7/31/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 5 | VideoTCT 014: Cognitive Biases and the Authority of Science | In this episode I talk about the relevance of cognitive biases for understanding how science works. I argue that, once we understand how cognitive biases lead us into error, and how scientific methods are designed precisely to neutralize these errors, | 6/12/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 6 | VideoTCT 013: Causation, God and the Big Bang | In episode 013 of The Critical Thinker Podcast we explore philosophical and scientific issues surrounding causation, God and the Big Bang! This one is inspired by a viewer email question, a "mailbag" episode. - Actually, | 3/27/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 7 | VideoTCT 012: Cognitive Biases | What They Are and Why They’re Important | As critical thinkers, it's important to understand how we OUGHT to reason. This is what we learn when we study logic, argumentation and other normative theories of reasoning. But it's equally important to understand how we IN FACT reason, | 2/3/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 8 | VideoTCT 011: What Critical Thinkers Can Learn from Actors | In this episode I talk about what it means to really understand a position that is different from your own, and what sorts of skills and attitudes you need to cultivate in order to achieve this kind of understanding. | 12/2/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 9 | VideoTCT 010: Critical Thinking’s Dirty Secret: The Importance of Background Knowledge | Critical thinking instruction has a dirty secret. The dirty secret is that critical thinking can't be taught! - Okay, maybe that's a bit too strong. But at least one important and essential component of critical thinking can't really be taught -- at l... | 11/10/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 10 | VideoTCT 009: The 5 Essential Components of Critical Thinking | Part 2: Argumentation and Rhetoric | We've talked about the relationship between logic and argumentation in previous episodes. In this episode I want to look at the relationship between argumentation and "rhetoric", the art of persuasive speech. | 10/14/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 11 | VideoTCT 008: Logic for Critical Thinkers | Logic is an essential component of critical thinking, but how much logic do you really need to learn? If you take a course in formal logic you'll learn all kinds of fancy techniques for constructing derivations and determining whether the logical form ... | 9/21/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 12 | VideoTCT 007: The 5 Essential Components of Critical Thinking | Part 1: Logic vs Argumentation | On this episode we're beginning a series on what I'm calling "The 5 Essential Components of Critical Thinking". I believe that effective critical thinking requires that we work at developing not just one but all five of these components, | 9/7/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 13 | VideoTCT 006: If the Brain is a Computer, Does that Mean it Was Designed? | An Introduction to Fallacies | Our first "mailbag" episode! In this episode I answer a viewer question about an argument involving brains and computers. Along the way we introduce the concept of a "fallacy" and look at three different kinds of fallacies: - | 8/20/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 14 | VideoTCT 005: Why Critical Thinking Matters | Part 4: Wisdom | On this episode of the podcast we're looking at the relationship between critical thinking and the pursuit of philosophical wisdom. In it I distinguish the philosophical pursuit of wisdom from the wisdom that is offered by revealed religion on the one ... | 8/4/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 15 | VideoTCT 004: Why Critical Thinking Matters | Part 3: Civic Duty | This week on the podcast we're asking two questions: What is the role of critical thinking in supporting and sustaining liberal democratic societies? (My answer: A Big One!) Do we, as citizens, have a civic duty to cultivate our critical thinking... | 7/11/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 16 | VideoTCT 003: Why Critical Thinking Matters | Part 2: Empowerment | Last episode we talked about critical thinking as a means of SELF-DEFENSE against manipulative rhetoric and faulty arguments. This week we look at how mastery of the elements of critical thinking can help to EMPOWER people, | 6/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 17 | VideoTCT 002: Why Critical Thinking Matters | Part 1: Self-Defense | In this episode of The Critical Thinker I begin a four-part series on "why critical thinking matters". In this episode I focus on critical thinking as a form of SELF-DEFENSE against the false rhetoric, sophisticated manipulations and bad arguments used... | 6/21/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 18 | VideoTCT 001: About Your Host | In this inaugural episode of The Critical Thinker podcast I give listeners an introduction to my background and history as a philosopher and critical thinking instructor. | 6/15/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| Total: 18 Episodes |
Customer Reviews
Phaedras unleashed
Finaly, finaly, finaly!!! A well put together podcast on reason. The host has a style and delivery that are rare in these types of podcasts. The host need not give any credentials as it is apparently obvious he holds a deep understanding of his subject matter. This is a guy you could have a conversation with over a beer or enjoy a lecture from in a crowded auditorium. Superb!
Odd problem
For a podcast that supports a naturalistic worldview, it never gives a reason to believe a purely natural brain should be trusted to produce wisdom or truth. If naturalism is true, the best a brain can produce is survival mechanisms which are a far cry from truth. Me thinks he doth assume too much. Given naturalism, I am at a loss to know why his fifth podcast is true. Why should I think a product of physio-chemical occurrences is able to generate truth (let alone free will to make wise choices). As a professor of philosophy, I thought he might cover this in that podcast. Although the podcast is well put together and makes some interesting points, he himself seems to commit the bare assertion fallacy - he states critical thinking is possible and therefore it is. Again, given naturalism, he must prove critical thinking is even possible prior to telling other how it could be achieved.
Fabulous!
The presentation of material is very clear and easy to follow. The knowledge obtained is urgently needed in this world where loud voices hold sway over reason!
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