Unit 1 Critical Thinking Exercises

1. Examine your assumptions of what homeopathic treatments consist of. How many of these do you engage with on a daily basis? How effective do you think they are? And how do they differ from true homeopathic remedies (based on Law of Similars and Law of Smallest Dose)?

2. Talk to someone who uses homeopathic treatments. What is that person’s rationale? Why do you think this person continues to seek such treatments instead of confirmed medical intervention?

3. Conduct a survey. What are some opinions on homeopathy? How many have tried homeopathic remedies? For what kinds of ailments? What are some common misunderstandings of homeopathy? How many surveyed think of homeopathy as a pseudoscience? What are demographic differences (age)?

4. Put yourself in the point of view of someone how seeks homeopathic treatment. What are some logical fallacies or examples of weak reasoning that you might find yourself using to justify continuing homeopathic treatments?

5. How would you describe homeopathy to a friend or stranger who knows nothing of the topic? How would you explain why it should be characterized as pseudoscience?