Week 3 Discussion: Evaluating Sources
7373 unread replies.8080 replies.
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 6, 7
Lesson
Minimum of 1 scholarly source (in addition to the textbook)
Introduction
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinions – but not their own facts." (Daniel Patrick
Moynihan, cited in Vanity Fair, 2010, para. 2)
We form opinions – and make our judgments – based on facts we observe and values
we hold. Our judgments are also influenced by the opinions of others. In the section "An
Expert on Hate in America" in Chapter 6, one of the authors, Dr. Peter Facione, renders
an opinion on a non-profit civil rights organization: Southern Poverty Law Center
(SPLC). Dr. Facione is a leading advocate and one of the most influential voices in the
field of critical thinking.
His endorsement of the civil rights organization is unqualified. It is also transparent: Dr.
Facione reveals that he is a financial supporter of the organization and has arranged
speaking engagements for its founder. This is Dr. Facione's invitation to you, the reader:
Knowing where you can learn more about the SPLC for yourself, and knowing about Dr.
Facione's endorsement and support of the Center's work, evaluate this claim made by
Dr. Facione: "The SPLC is an expert on hate in America" (p. 124).
The endorsement of the SPLC is contained in the most current edition of the text,
whose copyright date is 2016. Since that time Morris Dees, co-founder and former chief
trial counsel, has been fired (Hassan, Zraick & Blinder, 2019). Previously, there has
been controversy about groups and individuals that are listed by the SPLC as "hate
groups" (Graham, 2016; Price, 2018). The organization, which has nearly a half-billion
dollars in assets, has also been criticized for how it spends these funds (Robinson,
2019).
Self-Assessment Question
Before you submit your initial post, make sure to read the assigned chapter. Then, ask
yourself the following: Did the article in Chapter 6 of the text seem credible and reliable?
Why? Be very specific:
Was it because it is in a textbook?
Because it was written by a learned and respected person?
Because of content in the article?
Because of your previous knowledge of the SPLC?
,Initial Post Instructions
For the initial post, address the following:
Conduct additional research on the SPLC. Did your opinion alter in any way?
Why?
Only after you have done some responsible research should you begin to respond to
the discussion prompt. The discussion is not about the SPLC; it is not about Dr.
Facione. It is about what you have learned about forming opinions.
Your post must answer this question:
How do you define the term "expert"?
Your post must also discuss at least two (2) of the following questions:
How important are facts in the process of forming an opinion? Explain what you
believe to be the purpose or function of facts in making a judgment.
How did you respond to the self-assessment question? Since doing further
research, have you re-thought the way in which you assess credibility and
reliability? What is the importance of factoring the recency of a reference or
opinion (i.e., how old is it?) into an assessment of credibility and reliability?
How would you evaluate Dr. Facione's claim "The SPLC is an expert on hate in
America" (p. 124). Does the SPLC fit your definition of "expert"? Be specific in
your answer.
Follow-Up Post Instructions
Respond to at least one peer. Further the dialogue by providing more information and
clarification.
Writing Requirements
Minimum of 2 posts (1 initial & 1 follow-up)
Minimum of 2 sources cited (assigned readings/online lessons and an outside
source)
APA format for in-text citations and list of references
Grading
This activity will be graded using the Discussion Grading Rubric. Please review the
following link:
Link (webpage): Discussion Guidelines
Course Outcomes (CO): 4, 5, 6
Due Date for Initial Post: By 11:59 p.m. MT Recommended by Wednesday
Due Date for Follow-Up Posts: By 11:59 p.m. MT on Sunday
Posts must be on separate days.
, References
Facione, P. A., & Gittens, C. A. (2016). Think critically (3rd ed.). Pearson.
Graham, D.A., (2016, October) How did Maajid Nawaz end up on a list of 'anti-Muslim
extremists'? https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/10/maajid-nawaz-
splc-anti-muslim-extremist/505685/
Hassan, A., Zraick, K., & Blinder, A (2019, March 24) Morris Dees, a co-founder of the Southern
Poverty Law Center, is ousted. New York
Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/14/us/morris-dees-southern-poverty-law-
center-fired.html
Price, G. (2018, June 18) Southern Poverty Law Center settles lawsuit after falsely labeling
'extremist' organization. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/splc-nawaz-million-
apologizes-981879
Robinson, N. J. (2019, March) The Southern Poverty Law Center is everything that’s wrong with
liberalism. Current Affairs. https://www.currentaffairs.org/2019/03/the-southern-poverty-
law-center-is-everything-thats-wrong-with-liberalism
Vanity Fair. (2010, October 10). An American original.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2010/11/moynihan-letters-201011
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Jason Oakes
Jason Oakes
Apr 21, 2021Local: Apr 21 at 12:39am<br>Course: Apr 20 at 10:39pm
Manage Discussion Entry
Welcome to the Week 3 discussion!
Before we get started, let's set some baseline definitions and relationships.
Proposition (P) = something that could be either true or false, similar to a fact
(or better, a purported fact)
Belief (B) = to hold something to be true, same as an opinion
Beliefs are about Propositions. This means that when I Believe something,
the thing that I believe is a Proposition.
, For example, I believe that it is morally reprehensible to be a vegetarian.
In this example, the belief is about the following proposition = it is morally
reprehensible to be a vegetarian
You can have beliefs about all kinds of propositions or purported facts- some
boring and some interesting
I believe that it is not morally reprehensible to be a vegetarian.
I believe that gravity is the reason things fall down
I believe that God exists as a Trinity
I believe that all Americans were abducted by Aliens but have forgotten about
the experience due to being brainwashed
Notice, in these examples I am not yet concerned about the truth value of
any of these propositions. Some may be true and some may be false, but in
logic determining the truth or falsehood of a proposition comes after
determining the relationship of the propositions to one another (the
argument).
Hopefully some of these definitions can be helpful as you jump into this
week's discussion.
Schiffer, Stephen (2016). Cognitive propositions. Philosophical Studies 173
(9):2551-2563.
-
Collapse SubdiscussionBousso Diop
Bousso Diop
May 17, 2021Local: May 17 at 11:33am<br>Course: May 17 at 9:33am
Manage Discussion Entry
Hello class, I hope you enjoyed your week end!
I read the specific article in our book, "An Expert on Hate in America" and
furthered my research with SPLC by reading two more articles from The
Washington Post, "The SPLC has Lost all Credibility", and National Public
7373 unread replies.8080 replies.
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 6, 7
Lesson
Minimum of 1 scholarly source (in addition to the textbook)
Introduction
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinions – but not their own facts." (Daniel Patrick
Moynihan, cited in Vanity Fair, 2010, para. 2)
We form opinions – and make our judgments – based on facts we observe and values
we hold. Our judgments are also influenced by the opinions of others. In the section "An
Expert on Hate in America" in Chapter 6, one of the authors, Dr. Peter Facione, renders
an opinion on a non-profit civil rights organization: Southern Poverty Law Center
(SPLC). Dr. Facione is a leading advocate and one of the most influential voices in the
field of critical thinking.
His endorsement of the civil rights organization is unqualified. It is also transparent: Dr.
Facione reveals that he is a financial supporter of the organization and has arranged
speaking engagements for its founder. This is Dr. Facione's invitation to you, the reader:
Knowing where you can learn more about the SPLC for yourself, and knowing about Dr.
Facione's endorsement and support of the Center's work, evaluate this claim made by
Dr. Facione: "The SPLC is an expert on hate in America" (p. 124).
The endorsement of the SPLC is contained in the most current edition of the text,
whose copyright date is 2016. Since that time Morris Dees, co-founder and former chief
trial counsel, has been fired (Hassan, Zraick & Blinder, 2019). Previously, there has
been controversy about groups and individuals that are listed by the SPLC as "hate
groups" (Graham, 2016; Price, 2018). The organization, which has nearly a half-billion
dollars in assets, has also been criticized for how it spends these funds (Robinson,
2019).
Self-Assessment Question
Before you submit your initial post, make sure to read the assigned chapter. Then, ask
yourself the following: Did the article in Chapter 6 of the text seem credible and reliable?
Why? Be very specific:
Was it because it is in a textbook?
Because it was written by a learned and respected person?
Because of content in the article?
Because of your previous knowledge of the SPLC?
,Initial Post Instructions
For the initial post, address the following:
Conduct additional research on the SPLC. Did your opinion alter in any way?
Why?
Only after you have done some responsible research should you begin to respond to
the discussion prompt. The discussion is not about the SPLC; it is not about Dr.
Facione. It is about what you have learned about forming opinions.
Your post must answer this question:
How do you define the term "expert"?
Your post must also discuss at least two (2) of the following questions:
How important are facts in the process of forming an opinion? Explain what you
believe to be the purpose or function of facts in making a judgment.
How did you respond to the self-assessment question? Since doing further
research, have you re-thought the way in which you assess credibility and
reliability? What is the importance of factoring the recency of a reference or
opinion (i.e., how old is it?) into an assessment of credibility and reliability?
How would you evaluate Dr. Facione's claim "The SPLC is an expert on hate in
America" (p. 124). Does the SPLC fit your definition of "expert"? Be specific in
your answer.
Follow-Up Post Instructions
Respond to at least one peer. Further the dialogue by providing more information and
clarification.
Writing Requirements
Minimum of 2 posts (1 initial & 1 follow-up)
Minimum of 2 sources cited (assigned readings/online lessons and an outside
source)
APA format for in-text citations and list of references
Grading
This activity will be graded using the Discussion Grading Rubric. Please review the
following link:
Link (webpage): Discussion Guidelines
Course Outcomes (CO): 4, 5, 6
Due Date for Initial Post: By 11:59 p.m. MT Recommended by Wednesday
Due Date for Follow-Up Posts: By 11:59 p.m. MT on Sunday
Posts must be on separate days.
, References
Facione, P. A., & Gittens, C. A. (2016). Think critically (3rd ed.). Pearson.
Graham, D.A., (2016, October) How did Maajid Nawaz end up on a list of 'anti-Muslim
extremists'? https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/10/maajid-nawaz-
splc-anti-muslim-extremist/505685/
Hassan, A., Zraick, K., & Blinder, A (2019, March 24) Morris Dees, a co-founder of the Southern
Poverty Law Center, is ousted. New York
Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/14/us/morris-dees-southern-poverty-law-
center-fired.html
Price, G. (2018, June 18) Southern Poverty Law Center settles lawsuit after falsely labeling
'extremist' organization. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/splc-nawaz-million-
apologizes-981879
Robinson, N. J. (2019, March) The Southern Poverty Law Center is everything that’s wrong with
liberalism. Current Affairs. https://www.currentaffairs.org/2019/03/the-southern-poverty-
law-center-is-everything-thats-wrong-with-liberalism
Vanity Fair. (2010, October 10). An American original.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2010/11/moynihan-letters-201011
Search entries or author Filter replies by unreadUnread Collapse replies Expand
replies
Subscribed
Jason Oakes
Jason Oakes
Apr 21, 2021Local: Apr 21 at 12:39am<br>Course: Apr 20 at 10:39pm
Manage Discussion Entry
Welcome to the Week 3 discussion!
Before we get started, let's set some baseline definitions and relationships.
Proposition (P) = something that could be either true or false, similar to a fact
(or better, a purported fact)
Belief (B) = to hold something to be true, same as an opinion
Beliefs are about Propositions. This means that when I Believe something,
the thing that I believe is a Proposition.
, For example, I believe that it is morally reprehensible to be a vegetarian.
In this example, the belief is about the following proposition = it is morally
reprehensible to be a vegetarian
You can have beliefs about all kinds of propositions or purported facts- some
boring and some interesting
I believe that it is not morally reprehensible to be a vegetarian.
I believe that gravity is the reason things fall down
I believe that God exists as a Trinity
I believe that all Americans were abducted by Aliens but have forgotten about
the experience due to being brainwashed
Notice, in these examples I am not yet concerned about the truth value of
any of these propositions. Some may be true and some may be false, but in
logic determining the truth or falsehood of a proposition comes after
determining the relationship of the propositions to one another (the
argument).
Hopefully some of these definitions can be helpful as you jump into this
week's discussion.
Schiffer, Stephen (2016). Cognitive propositions. Philosophical Studies 173
(9):2551-2563.
-
Collapse SubdiscussionBousso Diop
Bousso Diop
May 17, 2021Local: May 17 at 11:33am<br>Course: May 17 at 9:33am
Manage Discussion Entry
Hello class, I hope you enjoyed your week end!
I read the specific article in our book, "An Expert on Hate in America" and
furthered my research with SPLC by reading two more articles from The
Washington Post, "The SPLC has Lost all Credibility", and National Public
