Introduction To CT

Unit 1
Introduction to
Critical Thinking
Aim of Education
●To transmit
●Subject matter (What to think?)
●Understand & evaluate the
subject matter. (How to think?)
●Succeed in the first but fail in the
second
Reasons for the failure
● Subject matter is so overwhelming and that
the second aim of understanding and
evaluating loses its importance
● Acquisition of scientific facts and information
is given more importance than scientific
methods and concepts
● Complex text books V lack of understanding
concepts
● Memorization V Application
Why?
Do you agree?
What is
thinking?
• As you start asking
questions and seek
answers, you are in fact
thinking.
• Thinking is a purposeful,
organized cognitive
process that we use to
make sense of our world.
Thinking tells us: Thinking determines:
• What there is • What we learn

• What is happening • How we learn
• What our problems are • What we think is important to learn
• What our options are • What effort we should expend
• What threatens us • What we think is true
• What is important • What we think is false
• What is unimportant • How things should be viewed
• Who our friends are • Who our enemies are
• Who our enemies are • Whether our learning is of high quality
• What our ‘history’ is or low quality
• Who we are • Whether our learning is deep or
• Who loves us superficial
• Who hates us
Everything we
know, believe,
want, fear and
hope for, our
thinking tells
us.
Thinking is the
core of our
curriculum
Thinking in colour
To think in color has to do with creativity,

hypothesis, design, innovation, new
ideas, strategy, planning, and
evaluation, possibilities, problem solving,
instinct, humor, emotional intelligence,
intuition, wisdom, empowering beliefs
and analytical, critical thinking.
BLACK AND WHITE THINKING
• Black and white thinkers overindulge in cynical, critical or judgmental thinking.
• Black and white thinkers consider it their job to point out the problems within each
new idea [or person] before considering the possibilities.
• Many black and white thinkers have made condemnation and higher criticism an
art form.
• Black and white thinkers are often overdeveloped in vertical, left-brain thinking
and carry an unhealthy prejudice, wrong belief systems, destructive cynicisms
and bigoted attitudes.
• This can result in a distorted view of self and poor relationships with other people
as they focus on faults before strengths.
Red Thinking
Higher order executive functioning
Thinking that analyzes, assesses and
improves green thinking
Green Thinking
Instinctive, automatic,
spontaneous thinking,
unconsciously guiding
RED THINKING
• Red thinking stops and assesses itself before going forward.
• In red thinking mode, we actively work to eliminate prejudices,
biases, dysfunctional thinking from our thinking.
• We rigorously apply intellectual standards to our thinking.
DISCIPLINED SEEK THE TRUTH SELF-ASSESSING
CRITICAL THINKING SELF CORRECTING PROBING

GREEN THINKING
• Includes ideas that are valid, as well as confusion, prejudices,

stereotypes, nonsense etc.
• Difference between high and low quality thought is not easily seen
in Green thinking.
• Green thinking goes without assessing itself.
SPONTANEOUS REFLEXIVE UNCONTROLLED
SELF-VALIDATING SELF-PROTECTING UNANALYZED

Types of Thinking
Critical Thinking is not a 21st Century Phenomenon
• Socrates, Plato and Aristotle – perpetuated old fashioned
view of thinking based on analysis, judgment and argument.
• In Greek, ‘Kritikos’ means ‘to judge’.
• Socrates teaching method of using probing questions to his
students.
• In 1605, Francis Bacon’s book on ‘The Advancement of
Learning’ on various types of learning
• Indian epics and myths. (Nachiketan)
• Story about Yudhishtra being asked questions.
• Vikram aur Betal
• Thirukural
• Rationalist movement
P21 Framework
Critical Thinking is a self-
directed process by which
we take deliberate steps
to think at the highest
level of quality.
Father of Critical Thinking – John Dewey
(1859 – 1920)
Critical Thinking is defined as “active,

persistent, careful consideration of a
belief or supposed form of knowledge
in light of the grounds that support it
and the further conclusions to which it
tends” (Dewey, 1933, p.9)
Defining critical thinking?
‘It is an intellectually disciplined process of

actively and skilfully conceptualizing, applying,
analysing, synthesizing, and / or evaluating
information gathered form or generated by
observation, experience, reflection, reasoning
or communication, as a guide to belief and
action.’ (Schriven & Paul, 1987)
Defining Critical thinking
It is a mental process that involves setting a

specific purpose, then gathering information,
evaluating the credibility of the information,
identifying and checking assumptions,
establishing alternatives, and identifying
consequences for the alternatives.
Elements of Critical Thinking
● Reflection
● Analysis
● Acquisition of
information
● Creativity
● Structuring arguments
● Decision making
● Commitment
● Debate.
● Be open and look at
both sides of issues
● Be analytical, identify &
question assumptions &
stereotypes
● Be organized and
objective in your
approach in dealing
Activity 1
● To be clear in writing ● Write out the most
● (1) State important thing you know
● (2) Elaborate (In about critical thinking, in
this form:
other words) ● (1) Critical thinking is
● (3) Exemplify and / or ……………………………..
illustrate ● (2) In other words,
…………………………………..
● (3) For example
…………………………………..
25
Activity 2 – Think for
yourself
Consider your thinking in these domains of your life: at work,
in personal relationships, in dealing with your emotions etc.
Complete these statements:
1. Right now, I believe my thinking across all domains of my life is of _____________

quality. I based this judgment on _______________.
2. In the following areas, I think very well _______________________.
3. In the following areas, my thinking is Ok, not great, but not terrible either
______________.
4. In the following areas, my thinking probably of low quality _____________________.
5. List atleast three areas for each of the above.

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Unit 1

• What there is • What we learn

To think in color has to do with creativity,

DISCIPLINED SEEK THE TRUTH SELF-ASSESSING

CRITICAL THINKING SELF CORRECTING PROBING

• Includes ideas that are valid, as well as confusion, prejudices,

SPONTANEOUS REFLEXIVE UNCONTROLLED

SELF-VALIDATING SELF-PROTECTING UNANALYZED

Critical Thinking is defined as “active,

‘It is an intellectually disciplined process of

It is a mental process that involves setting a

1. Right now, I believe my thinking across all domains of my life is of _____________

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