Critical Thinking
Unwarranted Assumptions
According to Vincent Ryan Ruggiero in his book titled Beyond Feelings; “Assumptions are ideas that are merely taken for granted rather than produced by conscious thought”
Ruggiero in his books sites a number of examples to support this claim. However, while it is well established and accepted that assumptions are ideas merely taken for granted there are different types of assumptions that may be considered when determining whether or not an assumption is warranted or unwarranted. Example: Logical assumptions, illogical assumptions, explicit or implicit assumptions, analytic assumption, etc. Therefore, as critical thinkers we are required to examine the premise on which any assumptions is made to determine its validity.
According to an article English 101 on the Shoreline Community College website “All arguments—all attempts to prove something—require assumptions. They are not bad; they are, on the contrary, essential. If you tried to prove every point you would never finish, because every proof would depend on another point or points, which would have to be proved, and so on to infinity” Ruggiero, used a very good example in the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision which according to Ruggiero pro-choice proponents holds the view that “Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision is logically unassailable” Ruggiero presented logical arguments for both sides of the timeless pro-life pro-choice debate. Ivy League Universities such as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton have both pro-choice and Pro-life groups vigorously presenting arguments to support their claims. Example Harvard has a website Harvard for life.edu and Harvard Students for
According to Vincent Ryan Ruggiero in his book titled Beyond Feelings; “Assumptions are ideas that are merely taken for granted rather than produced by conscious thought”
Ruggiero in his books sites a number of examples to support this claim. However, while it is well established and accepted that assumptions are ideas merely taken for granted there are different types of assumptions that may be considered when determining whether or not an assumption is warranted or unwarranted. Example: Logical assumptions, illogical assumptions, explicit or implicit assumptions, analytic assumption, etc. Therefore, as critical thinkers we are required to examine the premise on which any assumptions is made to determine its validity.
According to an article English 101 on the Shoreline Community College website “All arguments—all attempts to prove something—require assumptions. They are not bad; they are, on the contrary, essential. If you tried to prove every point you would never finish, because every proof would depend on another point or points, which would have to be proved, and so on to infinity” Ruggiero, used a very good example in the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision which according to Ruggiero pro-choice proponents holds the view that “Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision is logically unassailable” Ruggiero presented logical arguments for both sides of the timeless pro-life pro-choice debate. Ivy League Universities such as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton have both pro-choice and Pro-life groups vigorously presenting arguments to support their claims. Example Harvard has a website Harvard for life.edu and Harvard Students for