For this week’s course notes, you will summarize key concepts and ideas from Chapter 12 of Moore and Parker’s Critical Thinking 2024, which explores moral, legal, and aesthetic reasoning.
Begin by defining important terms from the chapter, such as moral reasoning, legal reasoning, and aesthetic reasoning, along with any distinctions like rule based versus consequentialist approaches in moral reasoning or criteria for evaluating aesthetic judgments. Next, write a concise summary of the chapter’s main ideas, focusing on how these forms of reasoning are distinct yet interconnected.
Highlight any examples or case studies that illustrate the concepts. Then, identify and explain the skills involved in analyzing arguments in these areas, such as assessing consistency in moral reasoning, understanding precedent in legal reasoning, or evaluating subjective versus objective claims in aesthetic reasoning.
Discuss how this chapter builds on previous concepts from the course, connecting ideas like identifying assumptions, assessing evidence, and avoiding fallacies to moral, legal, and aesthetic arguments. Finally, reflect on one concept or example from the chapter that you found particularly interesting or challenging.
Explain why it stood out to you and how it relates to real-world scenarios or your own experiences.
Submit your notes as a clear and thorough document that will be useful for future review.
