I was a philosophy major in college. (Actually, I got a double major: philosophy and creative writing, with a minor in business law.) When I graduated my father asked me what I was now qualified to do. “Argue eloquently in bars,” I told him. And I have. But, in fact, philosophy is a wonderful tool to tackle almost anything. What I learned from my readings was that clear thinking comes down to three things. First, what are your premises? Can you identify them? Second, how reasonable are they? Is there evidence? How trustworthy is it? Third, can you get from those premises to a justifiable conclusion? Does the chain of your reasoning follow the rules of logic? In this, the Age of Misinformation, we see many people whose premises are not just made up but strongly contradicted by the data. Once the false problem is set up they offer a ludicrous solution. An example. Premise: “There is a burgeoning public health crisis of sexual crime and misbehavior!” Evidence: In fact, like violent crimes...