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Presentation 2

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skkhuhro034
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Chapter 2

Introduction To Critical Thinking


WHAT IS CRITICAL THINKING?
Often when we use the word critical we mean “negative and fault-finding.”
This is the sense we have in mind.
But critical also means “involving or exercising skilled judgment or
observation.” In this sense critical thinking means thinking clearly and
intelligently.
More precisely, 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; and to make reasonable, intelligent
decisions about what to believe and what to do.
Put somewhat differently, critical thinking is disciplined thinking
governed by clear intellectual standards. Among the most important of
these intellectual.
standards are clarity, precision, accuracy, relevance, consistency, logical
correctness, completeness, and fairness.
CRITICAL THINKING STANDARDS
Clarity
“Everything that can be said can be said clearly”.
Before we can effectively evaluate a person’s
argument or claim, we need to understand clearly
what he or she is saying. Unfortunately, that can be
difficult because people often fail to express
themselves clearly. Sometimes this lack of clarity is
due to laziness, carelessness, or a lack of skill. At
other times it results from a misguided effort to
appear clever, learned, or profound.
Critical thinkers not only strive for clarity of language but also seek
maximum clarity of thought. As self-help books constantly remind us,
to achieve our personal goals in life we need a clear conception of our
goals and priorities, a realistic grasp of our abilities, and a clear
understanding of the problems and opportunities we face. Such self-
understanding can be achieved only if we value and pursue clarity of
thought.
Precision
Everyone recognizes the importance of precision in specialized
fields such as medicine, mathematics, architecture, and
engineering. 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:W hat exactly is the
problem we’re facing? W hat exactly are the alternatives? W hat
exactly are the advantages and disadvantages of each
alternative? Only when we habitually seek such precision are we
truly critical thinkers.
Accuracy
There is a well-known saying about computers:“G arbage in, garbage
out.” Simply put, this means that if you put bad information into a
computer, bad information is exactly what you will get out of it. Much
the same is true of human thinking. N o matter how brilliant you may
be, you’re almost guaranteed to make bad decisions if your decisions
are based on false information.
Critical thinkers don’t merely value the truth; they have a passion for
accurate, timely information. As consumers, citizens, workers, and
parents, they strive to make decisions that are as informed as possible.
Consistency
It is easy to see why consistency is essential to critical thinking. 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.
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. But,
just as important, we need to be able to reason from those
beliefs to conclusions that logically follow from them.
Fairness
Finally, critical thinking demands that our thinking be fair— that is,
open minded, impartial, and free of distorting biases and
preconceptions.

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