How to Reason and Argue

Think Again

A masterclass in persuasion from the inspiring philosopher who has taught a million people to argue through his popular open online course 
 
Our personal and political worlds are rife with arguments and disagreements, some of them petty and vitriolic. The inability to compromise and understand the other side is widespread today. What can we do to change this? In Think Again philosopher Walter Sinnott-Armstrong draws on a long tradition of logic to show why we should stop focusing on winning arguments and instead argue in a more constructive way. 
 
Based on a hugely popular online course with more than a million followers around the world, Think Again explains how to analyse, evaluate and make better arguments while also spotting bad reasoning and avoiding certain fallacies. Through lively, practical examples from everyday life, politics and popular culture, Walter Sinnott-Armstrong offers brilliantly straightforward, wise advice that we can all use at work, at home and online.

It has never been more important to spread an understanding of how to reason than it is today. Think Again is a clear and readable guide to reasoning and argument, filled with relevant contemporary examples. I hope it will be widely read

Engaging, interesting, amazing, fun, and sometimes challenging. I am a better thinker. A must

Student evaluation for the Coursera class Think Again: How to Reason and Argue

Love Walter. . . the most exciting thing is that you can start applying knowledge in day-to-day life starting from the very first lectures

This was a fantastic course, getting my mind actually thinking for the first time in ages. I didn't know it wasn't until I took the course

Walter Sinnott-Armstrong is the Chauncey Stillman Professor of Practical Ethics in the Department of Philosophy and the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University. His books include Think Again and Moral Skepticisms.

Our personal and political worlds are rife with arguments and disagreements, some of them petty and vitriolic. The inability to compromise and understand the other side is widespread today. What can we do to change this? In Think Again philosopher Walter Sinnott-Armstrong draws on a long tradition of logic to show why we should stop focusing on winning arguments and instead argue in a more constructive way. 
 
Based on a hugely popular online course with more than a million followers around the world, Think Again explains how to analyse, evaluate and make better arguments while also spotting bad reasoning and avoiding certain fallacies. Through lively, practical examples from everyday life, politics and popular culture, Walter Sinnott-Armstrong offers brilliantly straightforward, wise advice that we can all use at work, at home and online.

Jana Schaich Borg

Walter Sinnott-Armstrong

Vincent Conitzer

A stimulating analysis of moral dilemmas in AI with snippets of both good and bad AI-related news — from the worlds of art, environment, investment, law, media, medicine, the military, politics and more

A philosopher, data scientist and computer scientist tackle the key ethical challenges of AI: safety, privacy, fairness, responsibility and how to inject human morality into AI. Practical and peppered with lively examples. This is a must-have as AI fundamentally changes all of our lives. Balanced, thoughtful and engaging

Can we build and use AI ethically? I believe this book gives the best answer to this question: yes, but it is up to us, so we all have to make an effort. If you want to understand the impact of AI on our lives, and how to make it a positive one, you need to read it

Taking on the challenge of AI calls for perspectives grounded in multiple areas of expertise, and that is what Moral AI provides. . . A judicious and deeply-informed guide

Moral AI is a gracefully written and balanced book which should be required reading for all humans and generations of ChatGPTs. Written by an exceptional interdisciplinary team, it eschews hyperbole and brings what the Greeks would call phronesis - or practical wisdom - to the modern challenge of artificial intelligence

The authors blend their expertise from diverse fields to provide fresh insights and feasible suggestions for balancing AI advancement with ethical considerations. The book is a timely and significant contribution, particularly relevant now. It serves as a guiding light, both for those who are getting started on the journey, and for those who are looking for a fresh perspective

And How We Get There

Can computers understand morality? Can they respect privacy? What can we do to make AI safe and fair? 
 
The artificial intelligence revolution has begun. Today, there are self-driving cars on our streets, autonomous weapons in our armies, robot surgeons in our hospitals &ndash; and AI's presence in our lives will only increase. Some see this as the dawn of a new era in innovation and ease; others are alarmed by its destructive potential. But one thing is clear: this is a technology like no other, one that raises profound questions about the very definitions of human intelligence and morality. 
 
In Moral AI, world-renowned researchers in moral psychology, philosophy, and artificial intelligence &ndash; Jana Schaich Borg, Walter Sinnott-Armstrong and Vincent Conitzer &ndash; tackle these thorny issues head-on. Writing lucidly and calmly, they lay out the recent advances in this still nascent field, peeling away the exaggeration and misleading arguments. Instead, they offer clear examinations of the moral concerns at the heart of AI programs, from racial equity to personal privacy, fake news to autonomous weaponry. Ultimately, they argue that artificial intelligence can be built and used safely and ethically, but that its potential cannot be achieved without careful reflection on the values we wish to imbue it with. This is an essential primer for any thinking person.

Walter Sinnott-Armstrong

Praise for Moral AI

A stimulating analysis of moral dilemmas in AI with snippets of both good and bad AI-related news — from the worlds of art, environment, investment, law, media, medicine, the military, politics and more

A philosopher, data scientist and computer scientist tackle the key ethical challenges of AI: safety, privacy, fairness, responsibility and how to inject human morality into AI. Practical and peppered with li ...

Can we build and use AI ethically? I believe this book gives the best answer to this question: yes, but it is up to us, so we all have to make an effort. If you want to understand the impact of AI on our lives, a ...

A stimulating analysis of moral dilemmas in AI with snippets of both good and bad AI-related news — from the worlds of art, environment, investment, law, media, medicine, the military, politics and more

A philosopher, data scientist and computer scientist tackle the key ethical challenges of AI: safety, privacy, fairness, responsibility and how to inject human morality into AI. Practical and peppered with li ...

Can we build and use AI ethically? I believe this book gives the best answer to this question: yes, but it is up to us, so we all have to make an effort. If you want to understand the impact of AI on our lives, a ...

A stimulating analysis of moral dilemmas in AI with snippets of both good and bad AI-related news — from the worlds of art, environment, investment, law, media, medicine, the military, politics and more

A philosopher, data scientist and computer scientist tackle the key ethical challenges of AI: safety, privacy, fairness, responsibility and how to inject human morality into AI. Practical and peppered with li ...

Can we build and use AI ethically? I believe this book gives the best answer to this question: yes, but it is up to us, so we all have to make an effort. If you want to understand the impact of AI on our lives, a ...

Books by Walter Sinnott-Armstrong

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