Final answer:
By using critical thinking and assesssing claims with verifiable evidence, according to Kenneth Feder, we obtain unbiased conclusions. This process includes evaluating information sources, corroborating facts, and interpreting data to develop historical narratives. Eventually, this leads to defending claims that answer key questions in the historical inquiry.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Kenneth Feder, by using critical thinking and assessing fantastic claims with verifiable evidence, we get unbiased conclusions. This is because such an approach involves gathering information, evaluating sources, understanding evidence, and exercising a stance of epistemic humility. In other words, it requires acknowledging the limitations of human knowledge and not overestimating our certainty in that knowledge. This process is part of historical inquiry where one collects a set of sources to answer guiding questions, corroborates the information to find agreements or significant differences amongst sources, then interprets these to develop solid claims supported by the evidence.
Approaching fantastic claims with a critical thinking mindset involves scrutinizing the claim from various angles, considering the evidence, and evaluating the intentions and expertise of those presenting the claim. This method prevents biases and helps in developing a more accurate historical narrative, as opposed to one based on unverified opinions or insufficient facts. The SIFT method—Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, Trace the claims to the original context—is a practical approach for evaluating sources, as it enables us to vet the credibility of information, especially in an era rife with claims disguised as facts.
Historical interpretations are integral to this process, which involves constructing and defending claims that answer compelling questions through informed inquiry. Keeping in mind that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, it's critical to ensure that new or novel claims are thoroughly backed by strong evidence to be credible, especially when they challenge established knowledge.