Balanced Thinking

This is exactly how it sounds… thinking that is balanced. You are given a “thing.” You must then identify all the arguments in favour of this “thing” and all the arguments against it.

At its foundation, balanced thinking is creating a pros and cons list.

You will engage with adduction and refutation. Adduction is the process of finding supporting evidence/arguments. Refutation is the process of finding contradictive evidence/arguments.

When it comes to higher level thinking, we don’t need to pick a side at first. Find the arguments for or against a particular position, then assess their strengths and weaknesses.

Is the evidence which supports the arguments (either for or against) strong and compelling? Or is it weak? You may find that after weighing the sides against each other, you cannot pick one because more information is needed, or the evidence does not favour one
side over the other. This is okay. You have employed higher level thinking to reach this conclusion!

Questions to ask:

• What is the argument for __________?
• What is the argument against __________?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of each argument?
• What evidence is used to support each argument?

Cuseo, Joseph B, Aaron Thompson, Michele Campagna, Viki Sox Fecas. Thriving in College and Beyond: Research-Based Strategies for Academic Success and personal Development. Dubuque: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, 2016. Ellis, Dave. Becoming a Master Student. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006.