Asking the Right Questions, A Guide to Critical Thinking, 8th Ed

What Reasonable Conclusions Are Possible? 187
conclusion. Notice that the use of if-clauses permits us to arrive at a conclusion
without pretending that we know more than we actually do about a
particular controversy.
When you use if-clauses to precede conclusions, you are pointing out
that your conclusion is based on particular claims or assumptions about which
you are uncertain. To see what we mean, look at the following sample conditional
statements that might precede conclusions.
1. If the tax cut is targeted towards those at the lower end of the economic
spectrum, then . . .
2. If a novel contains an easily identifiable protagonist, a clear antagonist,
and a thrilling climax, then . . .
3. If automakers can make cars that are more fuel efficient, then . . .
If-clauses present you with multiple conclusions that you should assess
before making up your mind about the controversy, and they also broaden the
list of possible conclusions from which you can choose your own position.
Alternative Solutions as Conclusions
We frequently encounter issues posed in the following form:
Should we do X?
Is X desirable?
Such questions naturally "pull" for dichotomous thinking. Often, however,
posing questions in this manner hides a broader question, "What should we do
about Y?" (usually some pressing problem). Rewording the question in this way
leads us to generate multiple conclusions of a particular form: solutions to the
problem raised by the reasons. Generating multiple solutions greatly increases
the flexibility of our thinking.
Let's examine the following passage to illustrate the importance of
generating multiple solutions as possible conclusions.
Should we close the bars downtown? The answer is a resounding yes! Since the
bars opened, a dozen young college students have suffered from alcohol poisoning.