Critical thinking discussion board post

This is discussion board post..please dumb it down a little bit

The last in Bassham ‘s list of eight standards for critical thinking is “fairness” (pp. 6-7).

Hmmm . While we can see how e.g. precision, clarity, accuracy (etc .) are basic elements in critical thinking, why is “fairness” one? Suppose someone uses her critical thinking skills to CHEAT in argument successfully? That may be immoral, but is it also irrational (or vice versa )? Some philosophers do argue that it is so. How might they defend such a view?

[A hint: first look carefully at what Bassham understands fairness to be.]