A Definition of Critical Thinking
Assumptions
• Critical
thinking is a necessary skill
• It
enhances reading and writing skills
• People
prefer to be filters, not sponges
Arguments for Critical Thinking
•
It’s the 4th R in education
–
Why read and write if you can’t evaluate
what you’re reading and writing about?
•
Experts disagree about their own subject
–
Culture has roots in tradition.
•
To find out where our ideas came from and why our
culture chose them, we need to read classic texts that discuss the ideas our culture chose
and those our culture discarded.
•
To be aware of and understand new ideas that
our culture is considering accepting, we need to read modern books that explain those new
ideas.
•
To participate in deciding which ideas are
best, we need to have some standards to evaluate them—so everyone is using the same
criteria.
Arguments for Critical Thinking
•
Personal feelings don’t provide an
adequate standard to for evaluating ideas
–
In college, professors require you to learn
about and participate in deciding about many contrasting ideas. They expect you to use a
common set of criteria (the same ones they use) to evaluate the ideas. They’re not
necessarily concerned that you come to the same conclusion they come to, although if you
are using the same criteria as they, you are likely to do so for the same reasons they
did.
Arguments for Critical Thinking
•
Personal feelings don’t provide an
adequate standard to for evaluating ideas
–
Feelings aren’t acceptable criteria
because they are basically individual or cultural. Education in a multinational world cuts
across cultures and is independent of individuals. Feelings often enhance disagreement
rather than encouraging agreement or compromise.
Arguments for Critical Thinking
•
Personal feelings don’t provide an
adequate standard to for evaluating ideas
–
Since emotions are personal, no one can be an
expert on them (decide which emotional reaction is best to have about something).
–
We do rely on experts in many fields. Why not in what we believe?
Arguments for Critical Thinking
•
Personal feelings don’t provide an
adequate standard to for evaluating ideas
–
It’s impossible to say objectively that
every belief is subjective.
–
Some choices we make are legitimately
subjective and do not occasion a fundamental disagreement.
–
But in some areas, making the right objective
choice is critical for many more than the individual.
•
Sometimes there is evidence that makes one
choice objectively correct; subjective responses don’t change the evidence.
•
Sometimes there are accepted standards that
make a choice correct.
Arguments for Critical Thinking
•
The professional workplace requires it
•
College students are preparing for positions
of influence and as experts.
•
We expect these people to make good judgments
based on appropriate evidence and using common standards of evaluation.
Arguments for Critical Thinking
•
It can help you deal with mental and
spiritual questions
•
If you can understand your problems, you can
usually solve them rather than letting them take you over.
•
Putting things in perspective is important
•
Controlling yourself is better than letting
others control you.
•
It’s better to choose your values
than just accept the ones others want you to have. It’s your life.
•
Being able to know which choices are best and
why is important.
•
Making the right choices is important to
accomplish our goals.
Arguments for Critical Thinking
•
Social problems may be avoided
•
When whole societies allow themselves to be
manipulated by rhetoric and projudice, bad things can happen.
Arguments for Critical Thinking
•
It can be used to evaluate things, people,
public policies, or institutions—not just ideas
•
It provides standards for judgment
•
Evaluate the function(s).
•
Decide which of several functions is most
important.
•
Evaluate the purpose.
Arguments for Critical Thinking
•
Ethical issues are easier to decide when one
understands that
•
There is a relationship between individuals
and society
•
An ethical code is important for individual
happiness, not the other way around.
•
People have certain obligations or duties to
others in a society.
•
Thinking in universal terms helps to
objectively evaluate ethical rules.
Arguments for Critical Thinking
•
It is a moral obligation of a citizen because
•
Our example influences others, especially the
young.
•
Being gullible and/or dogmatic isn’t a
good example.
•
Questioning the status quo is what heroes and
reformers do.
Arguments for Critical Thinking
•
You have to use critical thinking to honestly
reject critical thinking as a method of thought.
•
If you really honestly consider the
alternatives and then decide that CT is no good, then you’ve really decided it is
good because you’ve used it to make your decision.
•
Dogmatists
•
Can’t even consider alternatives.
•
Can’t explain their views; otherwise,
they’re giving reasons for them (which is what critical thinkers do).
Critical Thinking ßà Writing
• Writing can
– Communicate ideas precisely
– Uncover imprecise ideas
– Correct bad ideas
• Critical thinking can
– Make writing more convincing
– Generate new ideas
Critical Thinking Does Have Limits
• Critical thinking is hard because
– Other non-intellectual factors also influence our actions
– We find it hard to evaluate societal values
– We never have all the facts to make decisions on.
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