Claims

Goals

  1. Describe what a claim is.
  2. Skillfully make a claim.
  3. Skillfully judge the quality of a claim.

Claim (What)

A claim is a statement that asserts something to be true or proposes that a particular action should be taken.

Most claims are supported by reasons or evidence that aim to justify why the claim should be accepted.

Examples

  1. The defendant is guilty. (Truth claim about a legal matter)
  2. People should stretch regularly. (Action-oriented recommendation)
  3. The answer to problem eleven is 42.7. (Factual claim in a math context)
  4. The U.S. should reduce opioid deaths. (Moral and policy claim)
  5. Raising the minimum wage will improve the economy. (Predictive causal claim)
  6. Company XYZ makes the highest-quality mountain bikes. (Comparative value claim; may depend on criteria such as durability, performance, or price)
  7. Engineers should always use units and cancel them appropriately. (Normative professional practice claim; grounded in accuracy and clarity)

Rationale

Skill with claims is valuable for several reasons:

  1. Make better decisions by evaluating which claims are most likely true or most beneficial.
  2. Identify what is most likely true based on reasoning and evidence.
  3. Accept others’ claims when they are well-supported and point to wise actions or accurate conclusions.
  4. Reject others’ claims when they are weak, misleading, or unfounded.
  5. Help others make and evaluate claims effectively.
  6. Strengthen your ability to persuade others with clarity, truth, and logic.

Skill with Claims

Make it a habit to identify claims and the reasons offered to support them.

Like learning to play the piano, developing skill with claims takes time, effort, and repeated practice. While the learning curve may be steep, the long-term rewards—better thinking, decision-making, and communication—far outweigh the costs.

The good news is that you can build this skill gradually by applying it in real-world conversations, writing, and decision-making. The more you practice, the more natural and powerful it becomes.

Making High-Quality Claims

To make high-quality claims, apply Critical Thinking (CT) using this basic process:

  1. Key Question: Identify the most important issue and express it as a clear, focused question.
  2. Research: Gather high-quality, relevant information that will help you answer the key question effectively.
  3. Logic: Choose the most appropriate logical structure (e.g., deduction, induction, causal reasoning) and apply it skillfully.
  4. Argument:
    • Clearly state your claim.
    • Provide strong reasons and evidence for accepting it.
    • Acknowledge potential objections and respond to them thoughtfully.
  5. Reflection: Evaluate the strength of your argument. Revise as needed to meet the quality required for your context.

Analyzing the Quality of a Claim

To judge the quality of a claim, assess it using the following criteria:

  1. Clarity: Is the claim stated clearly and precisely? Avoid vague or ambiguous language.
  2. Truth or Plausibility: Does the claim seem true or likely to be true based on what is known?
  3. Evidence: Is the claim supported by reliable, relevant, and sufficient evidence?
  4. Logic: Do the reasons support the claim through sound reasoning? Are there logical fallacies?
  5. Relevance: Is the claim important to the issue at hand?
  6. Balance: Does the claim fairly consider counterarguments and opposing views?
  7. Context Fit: Is the claim appropriate for the context or decision being made?

A high-quality claim scores well on all these dimensions. Weaknesses in any area suggest the need for revision, clarification, or further support.

Responding to a Claim (Best Method)

Effective response to a claim depends on your purpose. Use this three-step process:

  1. Clarify Your Goal
    Decide what you aim to achieve:
    • Understand the claim more deeply
    • Help the speaker improve their claim
    • Rebut or critique the claim
    • Persuade others to accept a different claim
  2. Choose the Right Tools
    Select the best skill(s) for your goal:
    • Active listening
    • Socratic questioning
    • Logical analysis
    • Evidence-based evaluation
    • Debate techniques
    • Reframing or restating the claim
  3. Engage Skillfully
    Apply the chosen tools thoughtfully. Stay respectful and focused on improving clarity, accuracy, and shared understanding—especially when disagreement arises.

Making High Quality Claims

To make high-quality claims, apply CT (Critical Thinking). Here is the basic recipe.

  1. Key Question: Identify the most worthwhile thing to address and frame this with a simple question.
  2. Research: Gather high-quality information that equips you to best answer the key question.
  3. Logic: Select the best logic structure and apply this skillfully.
  4. Argument: State your claim and the reasons why anyone include yourself should accept this claim. Also, state the reasons why this claim might be doubted and the associated responses.
  5. Reflective Thinking: Assess the quality of your argument and loop back and repeat the previous steps until the quality is high enough for your context.

Analyzing a Claim

To analyze a claim.