Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally. It includes the ability to engage in reflective and independent thinking. Someone with critical thinking skills is able to do the following :
·
understand the logical connections between ideas
·
identify, construct and evaluate arguments
·
detect inconsistencies and common mistakes in
reasoning
·
solve problems systematically
·
identify the relevance and importance of ideas
·
reflect on the justification of one's own beliefs and
values
Critical thinking is not a matter
of accumulating information. A person with a good memory and who knows a lot of
facts is not necessarily good at critical thinking. A critical thinker is able
to deduce consequences from what he knows, and he knows how to make use of
information to solve problems, and to seek relevant sources of information to
inform himself.
Critical thinking should not be
confused with being argumentative or being critical of other people. Although
critical thinking skills can be used in exposing fallacies and bad reasoning,
critical thinking can also play an important role in cooperative reasoning and
constructive tasks. Critical thinking can help us acquire knowledge, improve
our theories, and strengthen arguments. We can use critical thinking to enhance
work processes and improve social institutions.
Some people believe that critical
thinking hinders creativity because it requires following the rules of logic
and rationality, but creativity might require breaking rules. This is a
misconception. Critical thinking is quite compatible with thinking
"out-of-the-box", challenging consensus and purusing less popular
approaches. If anything, critical thinking is an essential part of creativity
because we need critical thinking to evaluate and improve our creative ideas.
ANOTHER DEFINITION
ANOTHER DEFINITION
Critical thinking is that mode of
thinking — about any subject, content, or problem — in which the
thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully analyzing,
assessing, and reconstructing it. Critical thinking is self-directed,
self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. It presupposes
assent to rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use. It
entails effective communication and problem-solving abilities, as well as a
commitment to overcome our native egocentrism and sociocentrism.
To Analyze Thinking
Identify its purpose, and
question at issue, as well as its information, inferences(s), assumptions,
implications, main concept(s), and point of view.
To Assess
Thinking
Check it for clarity, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth, significance, logic, and fairness.
The Result
A well-cultivated critical thinker:
A well-cultivated critical thinker:
·
Raises vital questions and problems, formulating them
clearly and precisely
·
Gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract
ideas to interpret it effectively
·
Comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions,
testing them against relevant criteria and standards.
·
Thinks open-mindedly within alternative systems of
thought, recognizing and assessing, as needs be, their assumptions,
implications, and practical consequences
·
Communicates effectively with others in figuring out
solutions to complex problems
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