Critical Thinking
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- Date Submitted: 10/16/2012 03:41 PM
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What is Critical Thinking?
Critical thinking is the process of thinking that questions assumptions. It is a way of deciding
whether a claim is true, false; sometimes true, or partly true. The origins of critical thinking can be traced
in Western thought to the Socratic method of Ancient Greece and in the East, to the Buddhist kalama
sutta and Abhidharma (philosophy of education, 2012).
Critical thinking is an important component of most professions. It is a part of the education
process and is increasingly significant as students progress through university to graduate education, although there is debate among educators about its precise meaning and scope (philosophy of education, 2012).
What does a critical thinker do? Assuming that critical thinking is reasonable reflective thinking focused on deciding what to believe or do, a critical thinker.
1. Is open-minded and mindful of alternatives
2. Tries to be well-informed
3. Judges well the credibility of sources
4. Identifies conclusions, reasons, and assumptions
5. Judges well the quality of an argument, including the acceptability of its reasons, assumptions, and evidence
6. Can well develop and defend a reasonable position
7. Asks appropriate clarifying questions
8. Formulates plausible hypotheses; plans experiments well
9. Defines terms in a way appropriate for the context
10. Draws conclusions when warranted, but with caution
11. Integrates all items in this list when deciding what to believe or do (Ennis, 2002)
Willingness to criticize oneself.
Critical thinking is about being both willing and able to evaluate one's thinking. Thinking might be criticized because one does not have all the relevant information – indeed, important information may remain undiscovered, or the information may not even be knowable – or because one makes unjustified inferences, uses inappropriate concepts, or fails to notice important implications (Ennis, 2002). One's thinking may be unclear,...
Critical thinking is the process of thinking that questions assumptions. It is a way of deciding
whether a claim is true, false; sometimes true, or partly true. The origins of critical thinking can be traced
in Western thought to the Socratic method of Ancient Greece and in the East, to the Buddhist kalama
sutta and Abhidharma (philosophy of education, 2012).
Critical thinking is an important component of most professions. It is a part of the education
process and is increasingly significant as students progress through university to graduate education, although there is debate among educators about its precise meaning and scope (philosophy of education, 2012).
What does a critical thinker do? Assuming that critical thinking is reasonable reflective thinking focused on deciding what to believe or do, a critical thinker.
1. Is open-minded and mindful of alternatives
2. Tries to be well-informed
3. Judges well the credibility of sources
4. Identifies conclusions, reasons, and assumptions
5. Judges well the quality of an argument, including the acceptability of its reasons, assumptions, and evidence
6. Can well develop and defend a reasonable position
7. Asks appropriate clarifying questions
8. Formulates plausible hypotheses; plans experiments well
9. Defines terms in a way appropriate for the context
10. Draws conclusions when warranted, but with caution
11. Integrates all items in this list when deciding what to believe or do (Ennis, 2002)
Willingness to criticize oneself.
Critical thinking is about being both willing and able to evaluate one's thinking. Thinking might be criticized because one does not have all the relevant information – indeed, important information may remain undiscovered, or the information may not even be knowable – or because one makes unjustified inferences, uses inappropriate concepts, or fails to notice important implications (Ennis, 2002). One's thinking may be unclear,...