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Cedric Chin
@ejames_c
1/ Yesterday, I wrote a thread about using the 4 classical theories of truth to evaluate a claim on the Internet. The 4 theories are: - Coherence - Correspondence - Consensus - Pragmatic Today, let’s take a quick look at this from the writer’s perspective.
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Cedric Chin
@ejames_c
There are four categories of responses to this type of article. Each of these correspond to one of the four classical theories of truth. Let's examine each of them in turn, as an exercise in critical thinking. twitter.com/NickMilo/statu…
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Cedric Chin
@ejames_c
2/ When you’re writing, run a background process to check your argument against the four theories of truth. Ask: 1) Is my argument coherent? Does everything flow logically from the premises? Am I committing any logical fallacies or excessively large leaps in my reasoning?
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Cedric Chin
@ejames_c
3/ Do my arguments correspond with reality? Can I generate counter-examples for each claim? If so, rethink or rewrite said claim. If you can come up with too many counter-examples, rethink your entire position.
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Cedric Chin
@ejames_c
4/ Is there consensus on your position? Should you check what the experts say? Doing this is often a forcing function for becoming good at reading scientific papers. Understand the hierarchy of scientific evidence. Get comfortable with reading statistical correlations.
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Cedric Chin
@ejames_c
5/ Finally, check to see if there is a pragmatic test for your claim. If you have experimented with your technique, write up the results of your test, along with as many details to help others replicate them. If you are believable, describe your accomplishments.
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Cedric Chin
@ejames_c
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@ejames_c
6/ The four classical theories of truth are not only useful as a method for critical reading, but also as a tool for rigorous writing. They give you a checklist of lenses to evaluate the truth claims in any text. And we shouldn’t really be surprised; they are a tool of thought.