science

Straight and Crooked Thinking

Straight and Crooked Thinking is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Straight and Crooked Thinking rather than just read about it. In short: Straight and Crooked Thinking, first published in 1930, revised in 1953, and again in 1974 is a book by Robert H. Thouless which describes, assesses and critically analyses flaws in reasoning and argument.

Key takeaways

Straight and Crooked Thinking belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Straight and Crooked Thinking to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Straight and Crooked Thinking from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Straight and Crooked Thinking, first published in 1930, revised in 1953, and again in 1974 is a book by Robert H. Thouless which describes, assesses and critically analyses flaws in reasoning and argument. Before Robert's death in 1984 he asked his grandchild C. R. Thouless to create an updated version of the book with contemporary examples. The 4th edition came out in 1990 with very limited run and a 5th edition was published in 2011. The latter book includes discussions of post 9/11 middle eastern terrorism with Western responses and the 2008 Subprime mortgage crisis. Robert Thouless described it as a practical manual, rather than a theoretical one.

Synopsis The 2nd edition discusses 38 deceptive techniques used in dishonest argumentation. There are 37 in the 5th edition and the ordering and descriptions do not match exactly. Many but not all of these map into well known fallacies. Appendix I of the 2nd edition provides page #s where they are discussed. Appendix 1 of the 5th locates the discussion by chapter. The following samples are based on the numbering from the 2nd edition.

No. 3. proof by example, biased sample, cherry picking No. 6. ignoratio elenchi: "red herring" No. 9. false compromise/middle ground No. 12. argument in a circle No. 13. begging the question No. 17. equivocation No. 18. false dilemma: black and white thinking No. 19. continuum fallacy (fallacy of the beard) No. 21. ad nauseam: "argumentum ad nauseam" or "argument from repetition" or "argumentum ad infinitum" No. 25. style over substance fallacy No. 28. appeal to authority No. 31. thought-terminating cliché No. 36. special pleading No. 37. appeal to consequences No. 38. appeal to motive Some of the tricks that do not map into fallacies are

No. 23. Making one's opponent angry so that they make mistakes No. 29. Softening opposition by starting with simpler agreed upon propositions No. 32. Equivocating pro and con so that no decision gets made

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Straight and Crooked Thinking

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Straight and Crooked Thinking claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Straight and Crooked Thinking before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Straight and Crooked Thinking ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Straight and Crooked Thinking

In research: Straight and Crooked Thinking appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Straight and Crooked Thinking in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Straight and Crooked Thinking is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1953 non-fiction books, Books about bias, Cognitive biases, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Straight and Crooked Thinking outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Straight and Crooked Thinking in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Straight and Crooked Thinking means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Straight and Crooked Thinking out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Straight and Crooked Thinking in simple terms?

Why does Straight and Crooked Thinking matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Straight and Crooked Thinking?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Straight and Crooked Thinking.