A Reasoned Judgement
A critical evaluation of all the relevent evidence and arguments involving an issue to come to an objective decision
Factual JudgementFactual judgement attempt to explain some aspect of the world. Factual judgement are not proven truth, because they are subject to the same degree of fallibility as any other judgement. They include descriptive and explanatory judgements. Descriptive judgements use statistics, adjectives, and observations to state the affairs. These descriptors must accord with evidence to pertain to the conclusion. Explanatory judgements describe why certain phenomena happen, often in the form of cause or reason. Explanations use observation to infer relationships between claims.
Interpretive JudgementIn interpretive judgement happens when one makes meaning out of particular phenomena. Usually when we summarize or evaluate a set of data we are making an interpretive judgement. To evaluate and interpretive judgement the conclusion must correspond with data or evidence, be inclusive of all the evidence, and be coherent. For example, I could make an interpretive judgement on whether or not Hamlet was mad.
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Evaluative JudgementEvaluative judgements assess an object, action, or phenomenon. They include:
Ethical Judgements: make claim to whether a situation if good or bad. Often they evaluate the actions or decisions of others. For instance, "Is it ok to reamin friends with your ex?" is an ethical question. Aesthetic Judgements: make claim as to whether an object is pleasing to experience. It involves interpreting sensory input. For instance, one can make an aesthetic judgement based on how much they enjoyed a movie. Instrumental Judgements: deal with justifying the action needed to obtain a particular goal. They bear similarities to ethical judgements, but do not include questions of morality. Instead, they often involve factual components, and use words such as "practicality," "efficiency," and "cost-benefit." Comparitive Judgements: evaluate the weight of importance for different value judgements. Often it involves comparing elements of the judgements above and deciding which should carry more importance in the decision making process. For example, we could decide whether Canada has a moral obligation to allow refugees, or whether the impracticality or registering so many immigrants should warrant closing the boarders. |
Guidelines for Reaching a Reasoned Judgement
1. Establish a burden of proof
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2. Assessing the possibilities in light of the alternatives.
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3. Considering differences in how the issue and arguments are framed.
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4. Ensure the relevant arguments, objections, and responses have been identified.
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5. Evaluate individual arguments.
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6. Recognize that points of view may be valid in different ways.
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7. Synthesize the strengths of other views into the judgement.
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8. Weigh and balance different values, considerations, and arguments.
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9. Consider whether your own personal convictions and experiences may be coloring your judgement.
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