1. Select, from the following list, a topic on which you have always held a strong personal opinion:
• Is it possible that aliens of at least equal intelligence as humans exist outside of the earth?• Is capitalism better than communism? (please write on this topic)
• Is democracy the best form of society?
• Is human nature fundamentally good or evil?
• Should the death penalty be abolished in this country?
• Do dogs (or cats) experience emotions?
• Is there an afterlife?
2. Answer the chosen question based on your own opinion and explain briefly the rationale of your opinion.
3. Now put on your critical thinking hat and examine what you wrote for #2 above to identify any ideology behind your answer to the chosen question. (Review chapter 2 for a definition of “ideology” when in doubt.)
4. Apply the test “Are the ideological premises true?” to your own ideological ideas identified in #3 above. The key is to perform this test objectively as if a scientist is verifying an idea with evidence. Cite at least one peer-reviewed journal article as part of this section. Remember that you are NOT supposed to be “justifying” your answer or “arguing” your point!
5. Draw a conclusion regarding the test result from #4 above. The result can indicate that your ideological ideas are totally supported by objective evidence, partially supported and inconclusive, not supported by objective evidence at all, or anything in-between these possibilities. There is no right or wrong answer and you are not required to demonstrate that your ideas are “true” or “accurate.”
6. This essay should be 600-800 words (excluding the cover page and the reference page) and submitted as a Word document.
7. Here are the APA standards to be graded for this assignment:
• Times New Roman Font, 12 point, double-spaced, in the whole document
• Paragraphs are indented half an inch; sentences are separated by one space.
• No direct quotes, period.
• A cover page and a reference page
• APA style for in-text citations and references in the reference page
• No running head, no section headings, and no abstract, please.
8. If you need to cite the textbook, here’s the complete reference:
Facione, P., & Gittens, C. A. (2016). Think critically. (3rd ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.