Critical Thinking

I recently read a book 《Critical Thinking》, and have deep appreciation for Richard Paul & Linda Elder’s work- great concepts & tools provided, and complex thought process & methodologies elaborated in simplified way.

It used to make me wonder why critical thinking, because everyone thinks, and it’s our nature to do so. According to the authors, much of our thinking, left to itself, is biased, distorted partial, uninformed or down-right prejudiced. Yet the quality of our life and that of what we produce, make, or build depends precisely on the quality of our thought. Apparently, shoddy thinking is mostly both in money and in quality of life; and excellent in thought, however must be systematically cultivated. 

Definition of Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is the art of analysing and evaluating thinking with a view to improving it. 

The authors also point out critical thinking "entrails effective communication and problem solving abilities and a commitment to overcoming our native egocentrism and sociocentrism.”

Benefits of Critical Thinking

A well cultivated critical thinker:

• Raises vital questions and problems, formulating then clearly and precisely;
• Gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively;
• Comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing the against relevant criteria and standards;
• Thinks open-mindedly within alternative systems of thoughts, recognising and assessing, as need be, their assumptions implications, and practical consequences; and
• Communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems.

How does critical thinking work

Critical thinkers routinely apply Intellectual Standards to the elements of Reasoning in order to develop Intellectual Traits.

Universal Intellectual Standards

• Clarity:       

Could you elaborate further?

        Could you give me an example?

        Could you illustrate what you mean?

• Accuracy:    

How could we check on that?

    How could we find out if that is true?

        How could we verify or test that?

• Precision:    

Could you be more specific?

         Could you give me more details?

         Could you be more exact?

• Relevance:   

How does that relate to the problem?

         How does that bear on the question?

         How does that help us with the issue?

• 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?

• Breadth:     

Do we need to look at this from another perspective?

           Do we need to consider another point of view?

           Do we need to look at this in other ways?

• Logic:       

Does all this make sense together?

          Does your first paragraph fit in with your last?

          Does what you say follow from the evidence?

• Significance:  

Is this the most important problem to consider?

           Is this the central ideas to focus on?

           Which of these facts are most important?

• Fairness:     

Do I have any vested interest in this issue?

          Am I sympathetically representing the viewpoints of others?

Since critical thinking is all about excellence in our thought, so first of all, let’s look at the Elements of Thought.

How do you use the elements of thought? It is used with sensitivity to universal intellectual standards:

Clarity ——> Accuracy/Precision/Relevance ——> Depth ——> Breadth ——> Significance ——> Fairness

Questions Using the Elements of Thought 

• Purpose:         

What am I trying to accomplish?

         What is my central aim? My purpose?

• Questions:       

What question am I raising?

          What question am I addressing?

          Am I considering the complexities in the question?

• Information:      

What information am I using in coming to that conclusion?

       What experience have I had to support this claim?

What information do I need to settle the question?

• Inferences/Conclusion:       

How did I reach this conclusion? 

     Is there another way to interpret the information?

• Concepts:       

What is the main idea here?

            Can I explain this idea?

• Assumptions:    

What am I taking for granted?

            What assumption has led me to that conclusion?

• Implications/Consequences:   

  If someone accepted my positions, what would be the implications?

What am I implying?

• Points of View:   

From what point of view am I looking at this issue?

            Is there another point of view I should consider?

Essential Intellectual Traits

• Intellectual Humility: recognising that one should not claim ore than one actually knows. It implies the lack of intellectual pretentiousness, boastfulness, or conceit, combined with insight into the logical foundations, or lack of such foundations, of one’s beliefs.
• Intellectual Courage: Having a consciousness of the need to face and fairly address ideas, beliefs or viewpoints toward which we have strong negative emotions and to which we have not even a serious hearing. This courage is connected with the recognition that ideas considered dangerous or absurd are sometimes rationally justified (in whole or in part) and that conclusions and beliefs inculcated in us are sometimes false or misleading. We must not passively and uncritically “accept” what we have “learned”.
• Intellectual Empathy: Having a consciousness of the need to imaginatively put ourself in the place of others in order to genuinely understand them, which requires the consciousness of our egocentric tendency to identify truth with our immediate perceptions of long-standing thought or belief.
• Intellectual Autonomy: The idea of critical thinking is to learn to think for oneself, to gain command over one’s thought processes. It entails a commitment to analysing and evaluating beliefs on the basis of reason and evidence, to question when it is rational to question, to believe when it is rational to believe, and to conform when it is rational to conform.
• Intellectual Integrity: Recognitions of the need to be true to one’s own thinking; to be consistent in the intellectual standards one applies; to hold one’s self to the same rigorous standards of evidence and proof to which one holds one’s antagonists; to practice what one advocates for others, and to honestly admit discrepancies and inconsistencies in one’s own thought and action.
• Intellectual Perseverance: Having a consciousness of the need to use intellectual insights and truths in spite of difficulties, obstacles, and frustrations; firm adherence to rational principles despite the irrational opposition of others; a sense of the need to struggle with confusion and unsettled questions over an extended period of time to achieve deeper understanding or insight.
• Confidence In Reason: Encourage people to come to their conclusions by developing their own rational faculties; faith that, with proper encouragement and cultivation, people can learn to think for themselves, to form rational viewpoints, draw reasonable conclusions, think coherently and logically, persuade each other by reason and become reasonable person, despite the deep-seated obstacles in the native character fo the human mind and in society as we know it.
• Fair-mindedness: Treat all viewpoints alike without reference to one’s own feelings or vested interests, or the feelings or vested interests of one’s friends, community or nation; implies adherence to intellectual standards without reference to one’s own advantage or the advantage of one’s group.

For those who are interested in critical thinking, here are the stages of critical thinking development.

From the bottom to top:

Level 1- Unreflective Thinker: We are unaware of significant problems in our thinking

Level 2- Challenged Thinker: We are faced with significant problems in our thinking

Level 3- Beginning Thinker: We try to improve but without regular practice

Level 4- Practicing Thinker: We regularly practice and advance accordingly 

Level 5- Advanced Thinker: We are committed to lifelong practice and are beginning to internalise intellectual virtues

Level 6- Accomplished Thinker: Intellectual skills and virtues have become second nature in our lives. 

Happy Critical Thinking!