- What is critical thinking?
- What makes one a critical thinker?
- Is it possible to actually persuade someone?
- Should we even try to persuade others?
- Are there certain beliefs that one has to hold in order to be a critical thinker? For example, does being a critical thinker mean that one has to be secular or a liberal?
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
[PL 211] What is critical thinking?
Many interesting questions about critical thinking are discussed in this podcast of Why? Radio.
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One of the most famous definitions of critical thinking, by Robert Ennis, is “a reasonable and reflective thinking aimed at deciding what to believe or do.” In saying this, critical thinking involves evaluating evidence presented to decide how to proceed forth (whether that be in belief or action). Therefore a critical thinker is one who practices evaluating evidence through reflection and reason. Yet a critical thinker must also have a quality that Harvey Siegel states as “cares about truth and wants to get at truth through [evaluating] evidence.” Secondarily, Siegel also says a critical thinker must be “appropriately moved by reason.” Being that these two qualities are of the utmost importance to any critical thinker, one’s political affiliation, creed, or color does not determine if one is to be deemed a critical thinker. Indeed, if one seeks truth in evaluating evidence with reason, then one is a critical thinker.
ReplyDeleteYet one does not have to be critical thinker to influence thought. Persuading others in their thinking is not only possible; it is the basis of our culture. Whether it is politicians persuading us to vote for them by pushing their ideals, or something as common as advertisements on the bus persuading us to purchase certain products, persuasion is everywhere. But persuasion is a good thing. Drawing upon Aristotle, Akin and Talisee claim that “We are by nature social creatures for whom believing in truth and avoiding error is of high importance.” Because we are social creatures, we are interdependent with others, meaning we care for others and others for us. Because we believe in truth, we will defend our truth, meaning we avoid error. For these reasons, we should persuade others because in doing so we are avoiding error by spreading our truth while simultaneously expressing our care for the one we are persuading (for we are urging them not to error). In persuasion, we further show respect for the one whom we are persuading because we are elevating them to a position of “a person both cable of following and being moved by [our] reasons, and one who can be a source of reasons that can move you [us].”
What is critical thinking?
ReplyDeleteHarvey Siegel described it best when he mentioned Robert Ennis’s definition of critical thinking. In summary, critical thinking is reasonable reflective thinking aimed at deciding what to believe or do. This process involves questioning evidence and assumptions through reason. The process is also influenced by the motives of the individual analyzing the argument. It’s important to hold an impartial stance free from conflict of interest or motives outside of seeking the truth. An individual must also be able to diverge from his/her values and culture in order to understand the context of the opposing idea.
What makes one a critical thinker?
What makes one a critical thinker is the critical spirit within their personality. What is the critical spirit nevertheless? Mr. Siegel illustrates the critical spirit as being a characteristic of an individual that seeks to understand the truth. It’s the end goal of the critical thinker should solely be to uncover the truth and eradicate misleading bias and evidence. This characteristic can be utilized in other fields. Granted that critical thinking skills alone are not suffice for analyzing matters in scientific research, it still holds as an invaluable quality.
Is it possible to actually persuade someone?
It’s possible to persuade someone, however through which means does it make it a significant influence on that individual's beliefs? It’s easy to force-feed complex information to a person and drown them in an ocean of self doubt and ignorance. This would eventually lead them to come to an agreement with your ideas, nonetheless, this isn't effective. The end goal in persuasive debate, at least in an ethical setting, would be to guide a person to the valid evidence that supports your claim. The critical thinking must be done by that individual unassisted.
Should we even try to persuade others?
In the assigned reading, “Why Do We Argue,” the author brings up the idea that we are political creatures that are interested in others’ lives. He makes good points that would encourage the morally right form of persuasion. Nevertheless, I feel that Plato’s Allegory Of The Cave provides a more insightful example on this matter. Towards the end of this parable, the enlightened one is faced with a dilemma. He is the only one of his kind to see the light. Do to his social nature, he yearns to share this knowledge with others. However, bringing this idea of an outside world that contradicts the core beliefs of those inside the cave would only bring hostility and bloodshed. Despite these outcomes we must remember our tendencies as political creatures. I find that this sacrifice by the philosopher king is inevitable. If an individual is genuinely enlightened, then he/she would be persuaded by truth. Combining that with the tendencies of social creatures–the path of a true philosopher king is parallel with the life of a sage.
Are there certain beliefs that one has to hold in order to be a critical thinker? For example, does being a critical thinker mean that one has to be secular or a liberal?
There’s certain core beliefs one must have in order to genuinely be considered a critical thinker. Mr. Siegel regarded respect for individuals as one of the most important ones. I would agree with this statement on the basis that respect is detrimental to self-thinking and diversity in ideas. Another virtue would be the ability to be open-minded towards others’ opinions and arguments. As I previously discussed in answer one, it’s essential to understand other conflicting arguments towards your belief. This will only help in further reasoning your stance or shed light on fallacious beliefs.
What is critical thinking?
ReplyDeleteAs stated in the podcast , critical thinking is a matter of philosophical controversy. Robert Ennis for one believes that critical thinking is reasonable reflective thinking that tells one what to do or believe. Harvey defines the critical thinker as one “who is appropriately moved by reason.”
What makes one a critical thinker?
A critical thinker has particular characteristics. They are someone who is skeptical and naturally asks questions without taking things at face value. A critical thinker must be focused on the truth and use evidence to determine the truth. These characteristics go beyond analyzing arguments.
A key takeaway from the discussion is that someone can be skilled in critical thinking but use their skills for reasons other than revealing the truth. Harvey states that while they have critical thinking skills, calling them a critical thinker might not be appropriate. They do not fulfill some requirements of the above characteristics, which Harvey defines as the “critical spirit”.
Is it possible to actually persuade someone?
Sometimes it is possible to persuade someone if they are given evidence to change their reasoning. However simply giving that person evidence may not always work. They may have other reasons for thinking the way they do.
Should we even try to persuade others?
It depends on why we are attempting to persuade someone. If we are trying to change someone’s mind by correcting something that is false or giving someone the truth then it is acceptable. The reason for persuasion must come from wanting others to know the truth.
Are there certain beliefs that one has to hold in order to be a critical thinker? For example, does being a critical thinker mean that one has to be secular or a liberal?
Even religious people can think critically about their own beliefs and other matters. However many religious believers tend to not think critically and have an idea that “it is a matter of faith”. Some believe that demanding reason is going against God by asking questions. A critical thinker needs to look introspectively at their own beliefs and ask why they believe what they believe and why they think their beliefs are better than someone else’s.