8 Do Facts Really Matter?
You might be thinking that as a society, we’ve progressed in our knowledge and understanding of the world beyond what the folks in Plato’s time had achieved. You might also be thinking that as long as you practice strong-sense critical thinking, keep your argument grounded in reality, and avoid the common roadblocks to critical thinking that it should be easy to convince people of your opinion and claims.
Sadly, that isn’t always the case. In the following National Public Radio broadcasts, you’ll learn about the idea of “backfire” and Brendon Nyhan’s research. You can either listen to the broadcast or follow along with the written transcript. As you do, think about these questions and write out your answers.
