Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking Defined by Edward Glaser

In a seminal study on critical thinking and education in 1941, Edward Glaser defines critical thinking as follows “The ability to think critically, as conceived in this volume, involves three things:

1.      an attitude of being disposed to consider in a thoughtful way the problems and subjects that come within the range of one's experiences,

2.      knowledge of the methods of logical inquiry and reasoning, and

3.      some skill in applying those methods.

Critical thinking calls for a persistent effort to examine any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the evidence that supports it and the further conclusions to which it tends. It also generally requires ability to recognize problems, to find workable means for meeting those problems, to gather and marshal pertinent information, to recognize unstated assumptions and values, to comprehend and use language with accuracy, clarity, and discrimination, to interpret data, to appraise evidence and evaluate arguments, to recognize the existence (or non-existence) of logical relationships between propositions, to draw warranted conclusions and generalizations, to put to test the conclusions and generalizations at which one arrives, to reconstruct one's patterns of beliefs on the basis of wider experience, and to render accurate judgements about specific things and qualities in everyday life. 

(Edward M. Glaser, An Experiment in the Development of Critical Thinking, Teacher’s College, Columbia University, 1941)

There is some criticism on teaching students to be critical thinkers, as may be that what teachers are teaching is not actually ‘critical think, but questioning’. According to Mathew Arnold, critical thinking is

is more like a character trait – like having “a critical spirit”, or a willingness to engage in the “give and take of critical discussion”. Criticism is always about the world and not about you.

Socrates on the other hand includes the idea of uncertainty in his view of criticism.

“The Socratic education begins … with the awakening of the mind to the need for criticism, to the uncertainty of the principles by which it supposed itself to be guided.”

However, for the purposes of this topic we are talking about learning the underlying reasons for the answer, rather than just being fixated on the answer. If you teach to solve a problem, the student will only know the answer to that problem. But teach them why, and they will be able to solve any similar problem. This in essence is what we are trying to convey. In this field we look at the separate steps to analyse the processes of thought and problem solving. In this we look at

·         analysing

·         conceptualizing

·         defining

·         examining

·         inferring

·         listening

·         questioning

·         reasoning and

·         synthesizing

This in turn helps us to identify and reject false or flawed ideas or ideologies. One concept to take into consideration is that to truly engage in critical thinking, one has to take into consideration one’s own biasis and possible flawed thinking. This can be influenced by culture or upbringing. One has to recognize knowledge and evidence as being more important than opinion. This may go against held beliefs, and cause conflict for these ideas.

CT encourages scepticism, which reasons that not everything that is presented is necessarily true. This is sort of like the internet and Facebook. Sceptics withhold judgement until is adequately provided that is not refutable. This is the basis for reason above persuasion. A disregard for reason eliminates the process of CT.

One of the problems with Critical Thinking is the concept that many people like to see problems in either right or wrong, and not pursue more complicated outcomes. I find this very often in college students that will think this way. Problems are not always a dichotomy. The idea of good vs evil looses weight, when one views a perceived evil person, and find that they had some good qualities. The refusal to accept complex solutions for an answer could be a person’s refusal for the idea of uncertainty. Uncertainty does not allow for the person to be right, and thus, appears to be a flawed system or stance. The world used to be flat, because the thought of not know what shape it was seemed intolerable to a demanding audience. Uncertainty or ambiguity promotes doubt, and if there is doubt about an authority figure, then all of their hypothesis may be wrong. Critical thinkers must:

·         Demands the ability to handle uncertainty

·         Secure in knowing that they may be wrong, and accept this

·         Must be able to wait for valid, evidence based answers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OLPL5p0fMg

There are apparently nine standards for making questions in this area

Intellectual standards (nine of them):

1. Clarity: Could you elaborate further? Could you give me an example? Could you illustrate what you mean?

2. Accuracy: How could we check on that? How could we find out if it is true? How could we verify or test that? 

3. Precision: Could you be more specific? Could you give me more details? Could you be more exact?

4. Relevance: How does that relate to the problem? How does that bear on the question? How does that help us with the issue?

5. Depth: What factors make this a difficult problem? What are some of the complexities of this question? What are some of the difficulties we need to deal with? 

6. Breadth: Do we need to look at this from another perspective? Do we need to consider this from another point of view? Do we need to look at this another way?

7. Logic: Does this all make sense together? Does your first paragraph fit with your last? Does what you say follow from the evidence?

8. Significance: Is this the most important problem to consider? Is this the central idea to focus on? Which of the facts are most important? 

9. Fairness: Do I have vested interest in this issue? Am I sympathetically representing the viewpoints of others?

It is important to know that we may need to look at our problem/issue and take them/it apart. Define our purpose and ask, "Is this relevant"? Do our research on these facts so that we consider alternatives and differing points of view. Think about the implications, assumptions and dynamics of reasoning in our minds. Use this framework to help us make decisions on a daily basis...especially the really important ones!