Critical Thinking: Pseudoscience and the Paranormal

Comprehensive and engaging, this new edition of a student and instructor favorite introduces the basics of critical thinking using the claims of pseudoscience and the paranormal. It has been extensively revised and streamlined throughout but retains the lively and dynamic style of the first edition and enhances the treatment of logic. 

The text guides readers through the critical thinking process by considering different types of support for claims (sources, logic, and scientific observation) and ruling out alternative explanations. It allows readers to practice and apply their new critical thinking skills on claims of extraordinary cures including energy treatments, complementary/alternative medicine and faith healing as well as four paranormal claims of consequence: astrology, spiritualism and the afterlife, parapsychology, and creationism. It provides clear and open–minded discussions of important issues related to the topic, including the paranormal spectrum, belief justification surveys, the placebo effect, and the relationship between religion and critical thinking. The text couples a conversational, nontechnical narrative with a wealth of student–friendly pedagogical tools, including critical thinking questions, a study guide for each chapter, and a companion website for students and instructors. As fascinating as it is informative, Critical Thinking arms readers with innovative tools and techniques to evaluate any extraordinary claims that come their way.

PART 1: INTRODUCTION

1 Critical Thinking: Your Survival Kit

2 The Paranormal Spectrum

3 What s the Harm?  Why Study These Things?

PART 2: THE CRITICAL THINKER S TOOLKIT

4 Sources

5 Logic (Bonus: The Top Four Informal Logical Fallacies)

6 Logic and language: Fallacies of Ambiguity

7 Science

PART 3: ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS

8 Oddities of Nature and the World of Numbers

9 Perceptual Error and Trickery

10 Memory Errors

11 Placebo Effect

12 Sensory Phenomena, Hallucinations, and Psychiatric Conditions

PART 4: PARANORMAL CHALLENGES

13 Claims of Extraordinary Cures

14 From the Paranormal Sampler: Four Claims of Consequence

APPENDIX A Why Do You Believe?

APPENDIX B: The Belief Justification Survey

REFERENCES

Jonathan C. Smith is a Professor of Psychology at Roosevelt University, Founding Director of the Roosevelt University Stress Institute, and Head of the Pseudoscience and Paranormal Laboratory.  He has published 23 books and has written numerous articles on critical thinking, advanced relaxation and mindfulness theory and practice, stress management, and spirituality and skepticism. In 1984 he founded the Roosevelt University Stress Institute primarily to combat pseudoscience in the field. He has created classroom and online classes specifically designed to teach critical thinking skills and evaluate extraordinary claims of the paranormal.