{"id":1663,"date":"2016-10-06T17:15:23","date_gmt":"2016-10-06T17:15:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/engcomp1-wmopen\/?post_type=chapter&p=1663"},"modified":"2020-07-07T15:01:19","modified_gmt":"2020-07-07T15:01:19","slug":"critical-thinking","status":"web-only","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-newpaltz-engcomp1\/chapter\/critical-thinking\/","title":{"raw":"Defining Critical Thinking","rendered":"Defining Critical Thinking"},"content":{"raw":"

Defining Critical Thinking<\/h2>\r\nThinking comes naturally. You don\u2019t have to make it happen\u2014it just does. But you can make it happen in different ways. For example, you can think positively or\u00a0negatively. You can think with \"heart\" and you can think with rational judgment. You can also think strategically and analytically, and mathematically and scientifically. These are a few of multiple ways in which the mind can process thought.\r\n\r\nWhat are some forms of thinking you use? When do you use them, and why?\r\n\r\nAs a college student, you are tasked with engaging and expanding your thinking skills. One of the most important of these skills is\u00a0critical thinking. Critical thinking is important because it relates to nearly all tasks, situations, topics, careers, environments, challenges, and opportunities. It's not\u00a0restricted to a particular subject area.\r\n

Critical thinking<\/strong> is clear, reasonable, reflective thinking focused on deciding what to believe or do. It means\u00a0asking probing questions like, \"How do we know?\"\u00a0or\u00a0\"Is this true in every case or just in this instance?\"<\/em> It involves being skeptical and challenging assumptions, rather than simply memorizing facts or blindly accepting what you hear or read.<\/h2>\r\nImagine, for example, that you're reading a history textbook. You wonder who wrote it and why, because you detect certain assumptions\u00a0in the writing. You find that the author has a limited scope of research focused only on a particular group within a population. In this case, your critical thinking reveals\u00a0that there are \u201cother sides to the story.\u201d\r\n\r\nWho are critical thinkers, and what characteristics do they have in common? Critical thinkers are usually\u00a0curious and reflective people. They like to explore and probe new areas and seek knowledge, clarification, and new solutions. They ask pertinent questions, evaluate statements and arguments, and they distinguish between facts and opinion. They are also willing to examine their own beliefs, possessing a manner of humility that allows them to admit lack of knowledge or understanding when needed. They are open to changing their mind. Perhaps most of all, they actively enjoy learning, and seeking new knowledge is a lifelong pursuit.\r\n\r\nThis may well be you!\r\n\r\nNo matter where you are on the road to being a critical thinker, you can always more fully develop your skills. Doing so will help you develop more balanced arguments, express yourself clearly, read critically, and absorb\u00a0important information efficiently. Critical thinking skills will help you in any profession or any circumstance of life, from science to art to business to teaching.\r\n
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Critical Thinking IS<\/h1>\r\n<\/th>\r\n

\r\n

Critical Thinking is NOT<\/h1>\r\n<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n

\r\n

Skepticism<\/h2>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

Memorizing<\/h2>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Examining assumptions<\/h2>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

Group thinking<\/h2>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Challenging reasoning<\/h2>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

Blind acceptance of authority<\/h2>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Uncovering biases<\/h2>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

Blind rejection of authority<\/h2>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n

Critical Thinking and Logic<\/h2>\r\nCritical thinking is fundamentally a process of questioning information and data. You may question the information you read in a textbook, or you may question what a politician or a professor or a classmate says. You can also question a commonly-held belief or a new idea. With critical thinking, anything and everything is subject to question and examination.\r\n

Logic's Relationship to Critical Thinking<\/h3>\r\nThe word logic<\/strong> comes from the Ancient Greek logike<\/em>, referring to the science or art of reasoning. Using\u00a0logic, a person evaluates arguments and strives to distinguish between good and bad reasoning, or between truth and falsehood. Using\u00a0logic, you can evaluate ideas or claims people make, make good decisions, and form sound beliefs about the world.[footnote]\"logic.\" Wordnik<\/em>. n.d. Web. 16 Feb 2016.[\/footnote]\r\n

Questions of Logic in Critical Thinking: An Example<\/h3>\r\n
\r\n

Exercise<\/h3>\r\nLet\u2019s use a simple example of applying logic to a critical-thinking situation. In this hypothetical scenario, a woman has a PhD in political science, and she works as a professor at a local college. Her husband works at the college, too. They have three young children in the local school system, and their family is well known in the community.\r\n\r\nThe woman is now running for political office. Are her credentials and experience sufficient for entering public office? Will she be effective in the political office? Some voters might believe that her personal life and current job (she teaches political science after all), on the surface, suggest she will do well in the position, and they will vote for her.\r\n\r\nIn truth, the characteristics described don't guarantee that\u00a0the woman will do a good job. The information is\u00a0somewhat irrelevant. What else might you want to know? How about whether the woman has already held a political office and done a good job? In this case, we want to\u00a0ask: How much information is adequate in order to make\u00a0a decision based on logic instead of\u00a0assumptions?<\/em><\/span><\/strong>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nThe following questions, presented\u00a0in Figure 1, below, are ones you may apply to formulating a logical, reasoned perspective in the above scenario or any other situation:\r\n
    \r\n \t
  1. What's happening?<\/strong> Gather the basic information and begin to think of questions.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Why is it important?<\/strong> Ask yourself why it's significant and whether or not you agree.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. What don't I see?<\/strong> Is there anything important missing?<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. How do I know?<\/strong> Ask yourself where the information came from and how it was constructed.<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. Who is saying it?<\/strong> What's the position of the speaker and what is influencing them?<\/li>\r\n \t
  6. What else? What if?<\/strong> What other ideas exist and are there other possibilities?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_426\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"600\"]\"Infographic<\/a> Figure 1[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
    \r\n\r\n
    <\/div>\r\n\r\n
    ","rendered":"

    Defining Critical Thinking<\/h2>\n

    Thinking comes naturally. You don\u2019t have to make it happen\u2014it just does. But you can make it happen in different ways. For example, you can think positively or\u00a0negatively. You can think with “heart” and you can think with rational judgment. You can also think strategically and analytically, and mathematically and scientifically. These are a few of multiple ways in which the mind can process thought.<\/p>\n

    What are some forms of thinking you use? When do you use them, and why?<\/p>\n

    As a college student, you are tasked with engaging and expanding your thinking skills. One of the most important of these skills is\u00a0critical thinking. Critical thinking is important because it relates to nearly all tasks, situations, topics, careers, environments, challenges, and opportunities. It’s not\u00a0restricted to a particular subject area.<\/p>\n

    Critical thinking<\/strong> is clear, reasonable, reflective thinking focused on deciding what to believe or do. It means\u00a0asking probing questions like, “How do we know?”\u00a0or\u00a0“Is this true in every case or just in this instance?”<\/em> It involves being skeptical and challenging assumptions, rather than simply memorizing facts or blindly accepting what you hear or read.<\/h2>\n

    Imagine, for example, that you’re reading a history textbook. You wonder who wrote it and why, because you detect certain assumptions\u00a0in the writing. You find that the author has a limited scope of research focused only on a particular group within a population. In this case, your critical thinking reveals\u00a0that there are \u201cother sides to the story.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Who are critical thinkers, and what characteristics do they have in common? Critical thinkers are usually\u00a0curious and reflective people. They like to explore and probe new areas and seek knowledge, clarification, and new solutions. They ask pertinent questions, evaluate statements and arguments, and they distinguish between facts and opinion. They are also willing to examine their own beliefs, possessing a manner of humility that allows them to admit lack of knowledge or understanding when needed. They are open to changing their mind. Perhaps most of all, they actively enjoy learning, and seeking new knowledge is a lifelong pursuit.<\/p>\n

    This may well be you!<\/p>\n

    No matter where you are on the road to being a critical thinker, you can always more fully develop your skills. Doing so will help you develop more balanced arguments, express yourself clearly, read critically, and absorb\u00a0important information efficiently. Critical thinking skills will help you in any profession or any circumstance of life, from science to art to business to teaching.<\/p>\n

    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    \n

    Critical Thinking IS<\/h1>\n<\/th>\n

    		\n

    Critical Thinking is NOT<\/h1>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n

    \n

    Skepticism<\/h2>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    Memorizing<\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    \n

    Examining assumptions<\/h2>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    Group thinking<\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    \n

    Challenging reasoning<\/h2>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    Blind acceptance of authority<\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    \n

    Uncovering biases<\/h2>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    Blind rejection of authority<\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    Critical Thinking and Logic<\/h2>\n

    Critical thinking is fundamentally a process of questioning information and data. You may question the information you read in a textbook, or you may question what a politician or a professor or a classmate says. You can also question a commonly-held belief or a new idea. With critical thinking, anything and everything is subject to question and examination.<\/p>\n

    Logic’s Relationship to Critical Thinking<\/h3>\n

    The word logic<\/strong> comes from the Ancient Greek logike<\/em>, referring to the science or art of reasoning. Using\u00a0logic, a person evaluates arguments and strives to distinguish between good and bad reasoning, or between truth and falsehood. Using\u00a0logic, you can evaluate ideas or claims people make, make good decisions, and form sound beliefs about the world.[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

    Questions of Logic in Critical Thinking: An Example<\/h3>\n
    \n

    Exercise<\/h3>\n

    Let\u2019s use a simple example of applying logic to a critical-thinking situation. In this hypothetical scenario, a woman has a PhD in political science, and she works as a professor at a local college. Her husband works at the college, too. They have three young children in the local school system, and their family is well known in the community.<\/p>\n

    The woman is now running for political office. Are her credentials and experience sufficient for entering public office? Will she be effective in the political office? Some voters might believe that her personal life and current job (she teaches political science after all), on the surface, suggest she will do well in the position, and they will vote for her.<\/p>\n

    In truth, the characteristics described don’t guarantee that\u00a0the woman will do a good job. The information is\u00a0somewhat irrelevant. What else might you want to know? How about whether the woman has already held a political office and done a good job? In this case, we want to\u00a0ask: How much information is adequate in order to make\u00a0a decision based on logic instead of\u00a0assumptions?<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    The following questions, presented\u00a0in Figure 1, below, are ones you may apply to formulating a logical, reasoned perspective in the above scenario or any other situation:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. What’s happening?<\/strong> Gather the basic information and begin to think of questions.<\/li>\n
    2. Why is it important?<\/strong> Ask yourself why it’s significant and whether or not you agree.<\/li>\n
    3. What don’t I see?<\/strong> Is there anything important missing?<\/li>\n
    4. How do I know?<\/strong> Ask yourself where the information came from and how it was constructed.<\/li>\n
    5. Who is saying it?<\/strong> What’s the position of the speaker and what is influencing them?<\/li>\n
    6. What else? What if?<\/strong> What other ideas exist and are there other possibilities?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \"Infographic<\/a><\/p>\n

      Figure 1<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      \n
      <\/div>\n
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      \n\t\t\t

      Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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      \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
      CC licensed content, Original<\/div>