Straight and Crooked Thinking

by Robert Henry Thouless

Overview

This new edition of a timeless classic demonstrates how the use of clear, rational thinking and logic can win any argument, however emotionally charged the topic in question. It describes the typical flaws of reasoning in argument and shows how language can be used to deceive - and how to avoid being deceived. It will show you how, by learning what is 'straight', rational language, and clear thought, you can disentangle emotionally charged rhetoric and hold your own in any argument or debate, no matter how challenging. Although written nearly 80 years ago, this book proves that certain principles remain timeless; it has shown many thousands over the decades how to cope with media spin and distorted reasoning - and now it will do the same for you.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781444134148
Publisher:	John Murray Press
Publication date:	04/29/2011
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
File size:	447 KB

About the Author

Born in 1894, Robert Thouless was a psychologist. He was Head of the Department of Psychology in Glasgow until 1938, after which he became Reader and Reader Emeritus at Cambridge. He specialised in logic, rationality and the study of responses to the paranormal and wrote several titles in addition to this one. He died in 1984.

Table of Contents

Preface vii

1 Different ways of using language 1

2 Words and facts 15

3 The meanings of words 29

4 Definition and some of its difficulties 37

5 Good and bad definitions 44

6 All and some 51

7 Some dishonest tricks in argument 62

8 Some logical fallacies 74

9 Habits of thought 85

10 Prejudice 97

11 Predigested thinking 111

12 Pitfalls in analogy 118

13 Oratory and suggestion 127

14 Tricks of suggestion 138

15 Straight thinking 146

16 The future of straight thinking 151

Appendix 1 Thirty-seven dishonest tricks commonly used in argument, with the methods of overcoming them 159

Appendix 2 A discussion illustrating crooked thinking 165

Index 171

Editorial Reviews

"...put it back on the mass market, where it belongs! (...) get it on every bookshelf on the planet."—http://answersingenes.blogspot.com/2007/11/straight-crooked-thinking.html

"Straight and Crooked Thinking remains one of the most succinct and practically-applicable books ever written. One blogger named it as his favorite book of all time, describing it as "a concise work of supreme genius."—http://neglectedbooks.com

'It is neither a dry nor weighty tome, but is jam-packed with raw rational sense. It will give you techniques for identifying fallacies and false arguments. It will help protect you from the devious subterfuges of politicians and preachers, journalists and jingoists. It is sweet manna from a rational heaven. Thouless describes 38 dishonest tricks that are commonly used in arguments (there may be more). '—answersingenes.blogspot.com

From the Publisher