CCM 104: CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING

SESSION 1

INTRODUCTION TO CRITICAL THINKING

1. What is critical thinking

2. What is reasoning
3. Significance of critical thinking skills
4. Barriers to critical thinking

Critical thinking is a cognitive ability associated with using the mind

Critical, analytical and evaluative ways of thinking means that one is using the mental processes
such as attention, categorization, selection and judgment.

Critical thinking is a process in which we learn to become increasingly critical. We learn to practice
and improve the habits and tools of critical thought and we learn to become self-conscious
(reflective and reflexive) about our own learning and thinking, so that a critical stance towards it
enables self-improvement in the ability to be analytic.

Critical thinking is the general term given to a wide range of cognitive skills and intellectual
dispositions needed to;

- Effectively identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments and truth claims

- To discover and overcome personal preconceptions and biases;

-to formulate and present convincing reasons in support of conclusions

-to make reasonable, intelligent decisions about what to believe and what to do.

Critical thinking is a complex process of deliberation which involves the following skills and
attitudes

 Identifying other people’s positions, arguments and conclusions

 Evaluating the evidence for alternative points of view
 Weighing up opposing arguments and evidence fairly
 Being able to read between the lines , seeing behind surfaces and identifying false or unfair
assumptions
 Recognizing techniques used to make certain positions more appealing than others such
as false logic and persuasive devises
  Reflecting on issues in a structured way, bringing logic and insight to bear
 Drawing conclusions about whether arguments are valid and justifiable based on good
evidence and sensible assumptions
 Presenting a point of view in a structured, clear well-reasoned way that convinces others

Role/ uses of critical thinking

- It plays an important role is social change-institutions in any society are products of social
change e.gg. schools, courts

- Helps in uncovering bias and prejudice

- It’s a path to freedom from half- truths and deceptions

- It enhances the willingness to change one point of view as we continue to examine and re-
examine ideas that may seem obvious. Such thinking takes time and the willingness to say
I don’t know

- It inspires the basic elements of communication (reading, writing, speaking and listening)

Critical thinking tools of analysis

1. All reasoning has a purpose

-take time to state your purpose clearly

-distinguish your purpose from related purposes

-check periodically to ensure you are still on target

- choose realistic and significant purposes

2. All reasoning is an attempt to figure out something, to settle a question or to solve a problem

- take time to clearly and precisely state the question

-express the question in several ways to clarify its meaning and scope

- break the question into sub questions

- identify if the question has one answer, if it’s a matter of opinion or if it requires reasoning from
more than one point of view

3. All reasoning is based on assumptions

- identify your assumptions clearly and determine if they are justifiable

-consider how your assumptions are shaping your point of view

4. All reasoning is done from some point of view

- identify your point of view

-seek other points of view and identify their strengths and weaknesses

- be fair minded in evaluating all points of view

5. All reasoning is based on data, information and evidence

- restrict your claims to those supported by data that you have

-search for information that both support and oppose your position

- ensure the information used is clear, accurate and relevant to the question at issue

-ensure you have gathered sufficient information

6. All reasoning is expressed through and shaped by concepts and ideas

-identify key concepts and explain them clearly

- consider alternative concepts or alternative definitions to concepts

-ensure you use concepts with care and prediction

7. All reasoning contains interpretations by which we draw conclusions and give meaning to data

-interpret only what the evidence implies

-check your interpretations for consistency

- identify assumptions which lead to your interpretations

8. All reasoning has implications and consequences

- trace the implications and consequences that follow from your reasoning

-search for both positive and negative implications

- consider all possible consequences

Universal Intellectual standards that guide clear and proper thinking

These standards must be applied to thinking whenever one is interested in checking the quality of
reasoning about a problem, issue or situation.

1. Clarity- if a statement is not clear we cannot determine whether it’s accurate or relevant. In
fact, we cannot tell anything about it because we don’t know yet what it is saying. Critical thinkers
not only strive for clarity of language but also seek maximum clarity of thought

2. Accuracy – Critical thinkers don’t merely value the truth; they have a passion for accurate,
timely information

3. Precision- be detailed or specific. Critical thinkers also understand the importance of precise
thinking in daily life. They understand that to cut through the confusions and uncertainties that
surround many everyday problems and issues, it is often necessary to insist on precise answers to
precise questions: What exactly is the problem we’re facing? What exactly are the alternatives?
What exactly are the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative? Only when we habitually
seek such precision are we truly critical thinkers.

4. Relevance- staying focused on relevant ideas and information

5. Consistency- Logic tells us that if a person holds inconsistent beliefs, at least one of those
beliefs must be false.

Critical thinkers prize truth and so are constantly on the lookout for inconsistencies, both in their
own thinking and in the arguments and assertions of others.

There are two kinds of inconsistency that we should avoid. One is logical inconsistency, which
involves saying or believing inconsistent things (i.e., things that cannot both or all be true) about
a particular matter. The other is practical inconsistency, which involves saying one thing and doing
another.

6. Depth/ Completeness- - does it address everything about the issue. In most contexts, we rightly
prefer deep and complete thinking to shallow and superficial thinking

7. Breadth- any other way to look at the issue

8. Logical correctness- To think logically is to reason correctly—that is, to draw well-founded

conclusions from the beliefs we hold. To think critically we need accurate and well supported
beliefs. We also need to reason from those beliefs to conclusions that logically follow from them.

9. Fairness- critical thinking demands that our thinking be fair—that is, open minded, impartial,
and free of distorting biases and preconceptions.
Intellectual characteristics of good critical thinkers

1. Intellectual humility -they are conscious of the limits of one’s knowledge. They are
sensitive to bias, prejudice and limitations of one’s view point. One should not claim more
than one actually knows

2. Intellectual courage – being able to face every situation despite how challenging it could
be

3. Intellectual empathy – putting oneself in place of others in order to genuinely understand

them

4. Intellectual integrity – being true to one’s own thinking

5. Intellectual perseverance – having a consciousness of the need to use intellectual insights

and truths in spite of difficulties, obstacles and frustrations

6. Faith in reason – confidence that in the long run one’s own higher interests and those of
human kind at large will be best served

7. Fair mindedness- need to treat all viewpoints alike without references to one’s own feelings
or vested interests

Benefits of critical thinking

1. Critical thinking in the classroom

• In college the focus is on higher-order thinking: the active, intelligent evaluation of ideas
and information. For this reason critical thinking plays a vital role throughout the college
curriculum.

• In a critical thinking course, students learn a variety of skills that can greatly improve their
classroom performance. These skills include

• -Understanding the arguments and beliefs of others. --To succeed you must be able to
understand the material you are studying. Critical thinking teach a variety of skills that with
practice can significantly improve your ability to understand the arguments and issues
discussed in class

• -Critically evaluate what you are learning in class

• - developing and defending your own arguments on particular topics or issues

 b). Critical thinking in the workplace

• Employers are looking not for employees with highly specialized career skills, since such
skills can usually best be learned on the job, but for employees with good thinking and
communication skills—quick learners who can solve problems, think creatively, gather
and analyze information, draw appropriate conclusions from data, and communicate their
ideas clearly and effectively.

• These are exactly the kinds of generalized thinking and problem-solving skills that a course
in critical thinking aims to improve.

c. Critical thinking in life

• First, critical thinking can help us avoid making foolish personal decisions.

• All of us have at one time or another made decisions about consumer purchases,
relationships, personal behavior, and the like that we later realized were seriously
misguided or irrational. Critical thinking can help us avoid such mistakes by teaching us to
think about important life decisions more carefully, clearly, and logically.

• Second, critical thinking plays a vital role in promoting democratic processes.

• Despite what cynics might say, in a democracy it really is “we the people” who have the
ultimate say over who governs and for what purposes. It is vital, therefore, that citizens’
decisions be as informed and as deliberate as possible.

• Many of today’s most serious societal problems—environmental destruction, nuclear

proliferation, religious and Third, critical thinking is worth studying for its own sake,
simply for the personal enrichment it can bring to our lives. One of the most basic truths
of the human condition is that most people, most of the time, believe what they are told.

Barriers to critical thinking

 lack of relevant background information
• Poor reading skills
• Bias
• Prejudice
• Superstition
• Egocentrism (self-centered thinking)- is the tendency to see reality as centered on oneself.
Egocentrics are selfi sh, self-absorbed people who view their interests, ideas, and values as superior
to everyone else’s
• sociocentrism (group-centered thinking)- is group-centered thinking. Just as egocentrism can
hinder rational thinking by focusing excessively on the self, so sociocentrism can hinder rational
thinking by focusing excessively on the group.
• peer pressure
• Conformism
• Provincialism
• Narrow-mindedness
• Closed-mindedness
• Distrust in reason
• Relativistic thinking
• stereotyping
• Unwarranted assumptions
• scapegoating
• Rationalization
• Denial
• Wishful thinking
• Short-term thinking
• Selective perception
• Selective memory
• overpowering emotions
• Self-deception
• Face-saving
• Fear of change

Characteristics of a critical thinker

 Have a passionate drive for clarity precision, accuracy, and other critical thinking standards
 Are sensitive to ways in which critical thinking can be skewed by egocentrism,
sociocentrism, wishful thinking, and other impediments
 Are skilled at understanding, analyzing, and evaluating arguments and viewpoints
 Reason logically and draw appropriate conclusions from evidence and data
 Are intellectually honest with themselves, acknowledging what they don’t know and
recognizing their limitations.
 Listen open-mindedly to opposing points of view and welcome criticisms of beliefs and
assumptions.
 Base their beliefs on facts and evidence rather than on personal preference or self-interest
 Are aware of the biases and preconceptions that shape the way they perceive the world.
 Think independently and are not afraid to disagree with group opinion.
 Are able to get to the heart of an issue or a problem, without being distracted by details.
 Have the intellectual courage to face and assess fairly ideas that challenge even their most
basic beliefs
 Pursue truth and are curious about a wide range of issues.
  Have the intellectual perseverance to pursue insights or truths despite obstacles or
difficulties

Characteristics of uncritical thinker

 Often think in ways that are unclear, imprecise, and inaccurate.
 Often fall prey to egocentrism, sociocentrism, relativistic thinking, unwarranted
assumptions, and wishful thinking
 Often misunderstand or evaluate unfairly arguments and viewpoints.
 Think illogically and draw unsupported conclusions from evidence and data.
 Pretend they know more than they do and ignore their limitations.
 Are closed-minded and resist criticisms of beliefs and assumptions.
 Often base beliefs on mere personal preference or selfinterest
 Lack awareness of their own biases and preconceptions
 Tend to engage in “groupthink,” uncritically following the beliefs and values of the crowd
 Are easily distracted and lack the ability to zero in on the essence of an issue or a problem.
 Fear and resist ideas that challenge their basic beliefs
 Are often relatively indifferent to truth and lack curiosity
 Tend not to persevere when they encounter intellectual obstacles or difficulties