Thinking books · Logic & argumentation · Browne & Keeley, 1981
Asking the Right Questions — the big ideas
A fixed set of questions to ask of any argument you encounter.
Free — no account needed to read
The big ideas
It gives a repeatable sequence: what are the issue and conclusion, what are the reasons, which words are ambiguous, what are the value and descriptive assumptions, are there fallacies, how good is the evidence, are there rival causes, are the statistics deceptive, what significant information is omitted, what other conclusions fit the same reasons.
Ambiguity is treated as a first-class problem: a key term that shifts meaning between premise and conclusion breaks an argument while looking fine.
Its last question is the strongest one — what other conclusions would be consistent with the same reasons — because it shows that reasons rarely force a single conclusion.
Practise it — no need to have read it
Take an article or proposal. Find the key term it depends on and write two different meanings it could carry. Check whether the argument survives both.
A hint: Words like "growth", "quality" and "engagement" almost always shift.
Where it shows up in real life
- Reading a business case
- Evaluating a policy
- Reviewing a pitch
Described in our own words with the source named — never quoted, and not a substitute for reading the book.
Thinking methods from this book
- The six-question claim check — A fixed pass over any claim before you act on it.
- Take an argument apart — Separating an argument into its working parts so you can see which one is weak.
The thinking it builds
- Critical Thinking — Evaluate claims and evidence
- Questioning — Ask better questions
- Argumentation — Build and evaluate arguments