MegaMaester

Critical Thinking · Lesson 2

Claims, Evidence and Arguments

beginner⏱ 16 min · 9 cards
The anatomy

Claim, evidence, conclusion

ClaimEvidenceConclusion
Keep them apart and the argument becomes checkable.
The big idea
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Not all evidence is equal

Keep the claim separate from its support, then ask how high on the Evidence Ladder that support reaches.

Compare

Correlation vs. causation

Correlation

Moves together

Ice cream & drownings rise together.
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Causation

Makes it happen

Hot weather drives both.
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Key term

The rule of thumb

Extraordinary claims require…?
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Extraordinary evidence
The bigger the claim, the higher up the Evidence Ladder its support must reach.
Rank it

Evidence Evaluator

“It cured my cousin’s cold in a day.”

Place it on the Evidence Ladder (weakest → strongest):

Place each piece of evidence on the ladder, from anecdote to replicated study.
Nuance

Weigh the source

Think like a Maester

A confident-sounding source is not the same as a reliable one. Check expertise, incentives, and independence.

Recap

Key takeaways

  • ✓Keep the claim separate from the evidence offered for it.
  • ✓Evidence must be relevant, sufficient, and trustworthy to count.
  • ✓A claim plus its supporting reasons is an argument, which can then be checked.
  • ✓The Evidence Ladder ranks evidence from anecdote to replicated study.
  • ✓Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
Quick check

What best describes critical thinking?

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