The journey of attaining critical and scientific thinking is one that involves deriving aesthetic pleasure as much as any other, more technical aspect. As a matter of fact, aesthetics can be extremely crucial in determining the extent to which an individual is able to harness critical thinking skills. Mark S Conn. in his paper “Rembrandt's Art: A Paradigm for Critical Thinking and Aesthetics” notes that for decades, the education community has debated the inclusion of art in curriculums of technical fields. There are those who believe that to justify the inclusion of art in a curriculum, there needs to be evidence that it has an impact on learning and critical thinking. There is sufficient rationale for holding the belief that artistic endeavours are directly linked to critical thinking abilities. They go hand-in-hand with creative thinking and complement each other perfectly. Masterpieces are created only when the artist interprets their surroundings critically and then proceeds to express them creatively, whether it is done in the form of a painting, music, piece of literature, an act, or anything else.
In the piece, “Enhancing Critical Thinking with Aesthetic Critical, and Creative Inquiry”, Nancy Lampert defines the term “Aesthetic Inquire” as discussing art in general, while “Critical Inquiry” implies analysing a specific piece of art. She notes that there is frequent criss-cross of the two concepts in an art class. Although not consciously aware; these concepts also strongly overlap in the field of science. A discussion around a specific scientific law is only sensible within the precedence set by a wider, more general scientific context.
There is no denying the fact that we live in a world built around the aesthetic desires of human beings.
One of the primary ways in which we practice the art of thinking and reasoning, whilst taking the world we live in, as the subject, is by absorbing it into our conscience through visual means. We perceive the world, introspect on its existence, and interpret it, all based on what we see with our very eyes. But in modern times, people have become less and less trusting of their own assets. A lack of critical thinking first and foremost implies a lack of drawing judgments based on your own perception and observation of reality. Yet the youth chooses to form their conclusion based only on what another individual claims to have observed. They assume that they must be correct. But you can never rely on another person to do your thinking.
Aesthetics ensure and strengthen an individual’s admiration and appreciation for something. Although visual stimuli are extremely essential to impart the idea of aesthetics through design, I believe that aesthetics need not always be expressed through beauty in the form of an art piece. Storytelling, music, and interactive social experiences are also significant approaches through which aesthetics can be communicated to one’s mind.
We already prominently employ art and aesthetics in many walks of life. It’s simply a matter of acknowledging the fact and embracing it so that we can use the potential of its virtues to the fullest.
Achieving the ability to truly think critically is perhaps not a destination, but an eventful journey down a long road, dotted with moments of revelations about your own self.
