Evaluate Evidence and Reasoning
Printed Page 34
As you listen to speeches, use your critical faculties to do the following:
Evaluate the speaker’s evidence
. Is it accurate? Are the sources credible?
Analyze the speaker’s assumptions and biases
. What lies behind the speaker’s assertions? Does the evidence support or contradict these assertions?
Assess the speaker’s reasoning
. Does it betray faulty logic? Does it rely on fallacies in reasoning? (See
Chapter 24
.)
Consider multiple perspectives
. Is there another way to view the argument? How do other perspectives compare with the speaker’s?
Summarize and assess the relevant facts and evidence
.