Why Critical Thinking Is Important

Critical thinking is skilled and active interpretationand evaluation of observations and

communications,information and argumentation”

It takes time and effort to be a good critical thinker

It’s a learned skill

Critical thinking- Logic

• The study of method and principals used to distinguish correct argument and incorrect argument (self and others)

• Uses logic: the correct method of drawing conclusions from evidence

Critical thinking- truth

• Objective Truth• True regardless of viewer• Excepted truths• Truth is based on excepted definitions• Cat, dog, chair

• Subjective truth• Truth varies by individual• Truth is formed my each persons experiences and

belief systems• Love, justice, freedom• Subjective truth can have many definitions

Critical Thinking-- Opinion

• Conclusion drawn that are based on emotion, subjective thought and assumptions

• The truth of the conclusion drawn is very unclear

• Try to predict outcome with subjective evidence.

• We can except others opinions without having to change ours…..ambiguity

• Opinions are evaluated on how reasonable, or logical, the evidence is, not weather the conclusion is true or not.

• What is Blue?

Critical thinking- Everyday life

• Opinions are based on • beliefs • not evidence• Opinions lead to bad

decisions• Critical thinking allows

us to avoid making bad decisions• Well-informed decisions• Seeking truth• Excepting other viewpoints• Seeking evidence

College student– three stages of thinking

Click icon to add clip art• Dualism• Only right and wrong.

• Relativism• All individual context.• No right and wrong

• Commitment• All individual context• Not all context equal

Not all situations are equally valid . Need to analyze each situation to come to the right conclusion

Good Critical Thinking Characteristics

Analytical

• Logic support for decisions

• Evaluate all arguments

• Recognize faulty reasoning

Communication

• Knowing how to make your ideas know in multiple ways and situations• Languages• Cultures• Genders

Research

• Formulate the right questions

• Interpret data• Evaluate

Flexibility

• Knowing that clear answers are not always available

• Need to change question to fine answer

• Sometimes there is no answer

Open Minded Skepticism

• Let evidence form conclusions

• Question beliefs• Accept other ideas

“Suspend our disbelief”

Problem Solving

• Creativity allows us to look at a problem in multiple ways• Open minded• Think out of the box

Use critical thinking after this

Collaborative Learning

• Develop relationships with people

• Consider “Other side”

• Know the other position

Self- Development

Self-Examined Life

An unexamined life is not worth living- Socrates

Know thyself- Greek saying

• Deal with you problems• Put yourself in a good

position• Develop skills to

succeed

Rational Life Plan

• Lead a life that you choose and is not given to you.

• Consider consequences before actions

• Schedule for your life

• Set goals• Challenging• Reachable

Challenges

We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily…demanded by the oppressed…For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied.“

Martin Luther King, JrLetters From a Birmingham Jail

Democracy

In a republican nation, whose citizens are to be led by reason and persuasion and not by force, the art of reasoning becomes of first importance

Thomas Jefferson

Barriers

Three tired model

Click icon to add clip art• Experience• I witnessed a robbery• I went to this school• I worked at this company

• Interpretation• This person was robber

because• This school is bad, and this

is why• This company should be

shut down

• Analysis• To avoid a robbery you

should• This school needs new

administration and teacher• When you start a new

company you should avoid

Resistance

• Barriers to our strongly held • View• Beliefs• Values

• We try to defend our views at all cost

• Is it cost effective?• Wasted time and effort

Type of Resistance• Ignore situations or questions-

avoid• Get mad at situation or

questions- anger• Take on popular responses to

situations or questions- clichés• Deny that situations or question

exist- denial• Not enough knowledge to

address situations or questions- ignorance

• Peer pressure answers the questions or situations for you- conformity

• Never answering a situation or questions- struggling

• Doing something else instead of addressing situation or questions- distraction

Narrow Mindedness

• Believe what they are told by perceived expert- Absolutism

• Don’t want the hassle- Fear of challenge

• What I think is more important than what other think- Egocentrism

• Our race or culture’s thoughts are more important that yours- Ethnocentrism