Using and applying what you’ve learned throughout the semester, demonstrate the goal
presented in the first chapter of the book: “Critical [thought] [is about] making wise decisions and
coming to CORRECT CONCLUSIONS.” (pg. 1, emphasis mine)

Your overall goal is to demonstrate that you’ve reached THE CORRECT CONCLUSION about your
topic, by providing a COMPLETE analysis which conveys the following:
– Is your topic making a Claim(s) of any kind, and if so, what is it/are they?
– What kind of Reasoning (or Argument) is used/presented by your topic? (Inductive? Deductive?)
– Does your topic rely on the use of any Rhetoric? And if so, how does this affect/alter its Argument
about its Claim?
– Is Persuasion (in any part, or in whole) the goal/intention of your topic? If so, for what?
– Is anything left Ambiguous or Vague?
– What is the Credibility to the Claim(s) made by your topic? What is the Credibility of any Source
within your topic?
– Are there any Fallacies (whether clear or subtle) contained within your topic? If so, what are they?
Do they completely undermine the Claim(s) your topic makes?
– Does your topic assert any Value Judgments? What about and what are they? (Moral? Aesthetic?)
– If your topic DOES make any Value Judgments, What Theory(ies)/Perspectives are they operating
out of? Moral? Aesthetic? (If Moral, WHAT Moral/Ethical Theory/Perspective? If Aesthetic, WHAT
Aesthetic Theory/Principle?) Why is it important for your topic to make these? What do they add to
your topic?

A solid paper will cover these questions, but also will not simply be limited to answering them
alone (i.e., THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO BE/GET CREATIVE, GET PERSONAL. FIND
SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR TOPIC THAT ISN’T JUST SOMETHING SOMEONE ELSE COULD
ANALYZE, GIVEN THE TOPIC AND THE QUESTIONS TO ANSWER).