Vol. 1 · — — 2025Critical Thinking / Field NotebookProperty of Emily Brewster
Anotebookofreasoneddoubt&sharpquestions.
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself — and you are the easiest person to fool."
— Richard Feynman, 1974why I keep this notebook →
Every argument I built this semester lives here — first drafts, dead ends,
and margin notes. Not a highlight reel.
A working record of how I think, and how I change my mind.
CoursePHIL 1100 · Critical Thinking
Professor[Prof. name]
TermFall 2025 — Spring 2026
Entries05 / updated weekly
Turn the page— start with the questions nobody asks →
don't trust first drafts
How to read this notebook
red pen
My current position — what I actually believe today.
pencil
Still unsure — questions I haven't resolved yet.
blue ink
Sources and quotes — other people's words, not mine.
Section 01 · the corkboard
on the wall
Five arguments pinned this term. Drag them around.
pull at the tape ✎
— 001Essay
The Anatomy of a Fallacy
Three viral arguments, taken apart. Where does the logic actually collapse?¹Started with five examples, cut two that turned out to be bad-faith strawmen of the original posters.
Oct 2025v3 · rev
v1First draft — 1,400 words, too broad
v2Cut two examples, sharpened the claim
v3Added the counter-fallacy section
"check the premise!"— 002Case Study
Steelmanning the Opposition
An argument for a position I disagree with — built to be as strong as possible.²Harder than I expected. I kept slipping into parody. The rule: if the other side wouldn't sign off on it, it's not a steelman.
Nov 2025v4 · rev
v1Parody, not steelman. Started over.
v2Better, but used weak sources
v3Found the strongest version of the argument
v4Asked a friend who holds the view to sign off
"hold two ideas at once"— 003Research
Source or Noise?
An evidence audit: ten sources ranked by reliability and reasoning quality.
Dec 2025v2 · rev
v1Ranked by prestige, not by rigor — caught the bias
v2Re-ranked with explicit criteria
"who benefits?"— 004Reflection
A Map of My Own Biases
Reflecting on the heuristics that quietly shape my judgments.
Feb 2026v1 · ongoing
v1Still in progress — will revise as I notice more
"start with yourself"— 005Capstone
Final: A Thesis, Defended
The year's capstone argument — sources, counterpoints, and revision.
Apr 2026v1 · draft
v1Outline only — thesis still moving
"the strongest version"
Section 02 · weekly log
log
hover a line to open it →
Sep 12Read Ch. 1. Started noticing how often I say "obviously."20 min
Sep 19First draft of the fallacy essay. Rewrote the opener three times.2 hrs
Sep 28Caught a strawman in my own argument. Deleted 400 words.1 hr
Oct 05Met with Prof. about sourcing. Learned the difference between claim and warrant.30 min
Oct 14Started steelmanning the position I disagree with. Harder than expected.90 min
Oct 22Noticed I trust sources that agree with me faster than ones that don't.—
Nov 03Rewrote the thesis. It's now narrower and I can actually defend it.2 hrs
Currently reading —
Thinking, Fast and SlowKAHNEMAN
The Demon-Haunted WorldSAGAN
Thank You for ArguingHEINRICHS
Being WrongSCHULZ
Merchants of DoubtORESKES
Section 03 · marginalia
I'm learning to think slowly in a world that rewards speed.
This notebook tracks a single semester of critical thinking: the arguments
I built, the ones I dismantled, and the ones I abandoned. It is not a
portfolio of wins — it's a record of revision.
Every entry includes my reasoning, my sources, and — crucially —
where I was wrong.
Read it in order if you want to watch the thinking change.
CoursePHIL 1100 · Critical Thinking
TermFall 2025 — Spring 2026
FocusArgument · Evidence · Bias
ToolsNotes · Sources · Revision
— revision history · selected
Sep 05
Started the notebook. Nothing but questions.
Oct 12
Deleted 400 words from an argument I liked. That hurt.
Nov 22
Changed my mind about a source I trusted.
Dec 14
Rewrote the thesis. It fits on one card now.
Apr 20
Capstone submitted. Still not finished with the questions.