Critical Thinking – What do you think of that?
In 1906, William Graham Sumner said, “The critical habit of thought, if usual in society, will pervade all its mores, because it is a way of taking up the problems of life.”
What is meant by this?
You may want to have a dictionary on hand. . .
————————————————————————————————
Defining Critical Thinking
(A statement by Michael Scriven & Richard Paul for the National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking Instruction)
Summary
Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness
It entails the examination of those structures or elements of thought implicit in all reasoning: purpose, problem, or question-at-issue; assumptions; concepts; empirical grounding; reasoning leading to conclusions; implications and consequences; objections from alternative viewpoints; and frame of reference. Critical thinking – in being responsive to variable subject matter, issues, and purposes – is incorporated in a family of interwoven modes of thinking, among them: scientific thinking, mathematical thinking, historical thinking, anthropological thinking, economic thinking, moral thinking, and philosophical thinking.
Critical thinking can be seen as having two components: 1) a set of information and belief generating and processing skills, and 2) the habit, based on intellectual commitment, of using those skills to guide behavior.
It is thus to be contrasted with: 1) the mere acquisition and retention of information alone, because it involves a particular way in which information is sought and treated; 2) the mere possession of a set of skills, because it involves the continual use of them; and 3) the mere use of those skills (“as an exercise”) without acceptance of their results.
Critical thinking varies according to the motivation underlying it. When grounded in selfish motives, it is often manifested in the skillful manipulation of ideas in service of one’s own, or one’s groups’, vested interest. As such it is typically intellectually flawed, however pragmatically successful it might be. When grounded in fairmindedness and intellectual integrity, it is typically of a higher order intellectually, though subject to the charge of “idealism” by those habituated to its selfish use.
Critical thinking of any kind is never universal in any individual; everyone is subject to episodes of undisciplined or irrational thought. Its quality is therefore typically a matter of degree and dependent on , among other things, the quality and depth of experience in a given domain of thinking or with respect to a particular class of questions. No one is a critical thinker through-and-through, but only to such-and-such a degree, with such-and-such insights and blind spots, subject to such-and-such tendencies towards self-delusion. For this reason, the development of critical thinking skills and dispositions is a life-long endeavor.
Why Critical Thinking?
The Problem:
Everyone thinks; it is our nature to do so. But much of our thinking, left to itself, is biased, distorted, partial, uninformed or down-right prejudiced. Yet the quality of our life and that of what we produce, make, or build depends precisely on the quality of our thought. Shoddy thinking is costly, both in money and in quality of life. Excellence in thought, however, must be systematically cultivated.
A Definition:
Critical thinking is that mode of thinking – about any subject, content, or
problem – in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking
by skillfully taking charge of the structures inherent in thinking and
imposing intellectual standards upon them.
The Result:
A well cultivated critical thinker:
· raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely;
· gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards;
· thinks openmindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing, as need be, their assumptions, implications, and practical consequences; and
· communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems.
Critical thinking is, in short, self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. It presupposes assent to rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use. It entails effective communication and problem solving abilities and a commitment to overcome our native egocentrism and sociocentrism.
This information is taken from:
http://www.criticalthinking.org/
&
http://www.criticalthinking.org/aboutCT/definingCT.shtml
Lauren Gratzer thanks to you i learned what mores is but yea nobody answered my question =/
What does empirical grounding mean?
Empirical -means based on observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic. Grounding- means basic training or instruction
Together I think it means based on observations and experience from the basic training you recvieved.
Synonyms for Empirical- experiential, practical, or first-hand
Intellectually means the ability to learn and reason
I dont know what fairmindedness means its so confusing.
Welll first off i would want to say that if u dont understand some of these words then you won’t be able to understand the passage and the point its trying to tell you! Here are some definitions that might help you understand the passage more:
Mores-the essential or characteristic customs and conventions of a community.
Pragmatically-dealing with things sensibly and reallistically in a way that ia based on practical rather then theorectial considereations.
Interwoven-weave or become woven together.
Prejudiced-having or showing dislike or distrust that is derived from prejudice.
Those are some words i had problems with.
I learned critical thinking is that mode of thinking about any subject, content, or problem.
In paragraph 4, where it says critical thinking is contrasted with the mere ACQUISITION and retention of information alone…. I wa wondering what that word meant and it means- The act of acquiring;something acquired or gained.
Also under “Why Critical thinking” The definition and result was very intresting I liked how it was stated. It said things that I didn’t know about. Part of it said things I didn’t know about and things that I already knew about.
But what had me thinking most was that under “The Result” the bold-faced type made critical thinking seem like it was a subject that very independent and individual.
I also found out what “pragmatically” meant from paragraph 5. It meant – dealing or conccerned with facts or actual prefrences; practial
Before I started to read this I just thought that critical thinking was “thinking” or thinking hard about something. After reading this, I learned that there is more to it then just thinking hard. I learned that critically thinking is just a short form of thinking. Also most of our thinking is just partial. Critically thinking is the mode about thinking aboout any subject. However, when you are thinking critically, your thinking in a brief way, not sitting there for an hour thinking about the same subject. I also came across a few words that I wasnt to sure of. These words included “entails” and “acquisition”. I then looked up the words and entails means to to have a nessessary componiment. Aquiuisition is the act of acquiring. When I first started to read, I came across the name “William Grahm Sumner”. I didn’t know who that was so I looked it up in google. He was an influentual yale professer & a social darwinis. I now know more about Critically Thinking.
I learned that critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, synthesizing, and evaluating infomation gather. Critical thinking is also the mode of thinking-about any subject content and/or problem.
This page was hard to understand. There are many complicating words and phrases on this page. It was very hard to understand many of the things on this page.
i read the article and i found like 17 words i dont know and what does intellectually mean?
When I first started reading the blog I didn’t get any of the words that were in the story but then I looked up the words and I found out what it meant. For example, the word conceptualizing. I didn’t know what it meant but then the definition explained it.Here is the definition: To form a concept or concepts of, and especially to interpret in a conceptual way.I’m really learning the meaning of Critical Thinking and I’m starting to like it.
ZAC I AGREE WITH YOU TO BUT MAYBE KRISTEN IS RIGHT THIER TO BIG OF WORDS FOR YOU!!!LOLZ!!!JUST KIDDING I LIKE YOUR COMMENT!!!
I had alot of words in this article that i didn’t know. The one that really stuck out to me was the word pragmatically maybe because it was so long and looks like the word pregnant when you glance through.I went to Dictionary.com looked it up and the definition is “Dealing or concerned with facts or actual occurrences; practical”
To Copy something and paste it
1. Highlight or block it in
2.do the following:
Apple + C = copy / Apple + V = paste
——Thanks Rick!!!
——Mr. Moshé
William Graham summer was born 1840 and died in 1910. He worked at yale and was a social darwinist.
Social Darwinism is a belief, popular in the late Victorian era in England, America, and elsewhere, which states that the strongest or fittest should survive and flourish in society, while the weak and unfit should be allowed to die. The theory was chiefly expounded by Herbert Spencer, whose ethical philosophies always held an elitist view and received a boost from the application of Darwinian ideas such as adaptation and natural selection.
hey people im gonna try to have a conversation over the computer
I figured out that critical thinking uses all the subjects that you learned from school. It varies from the motivation underlying it
I now know what Anthropological is thanks crina
AMANDA S. I AGREE WITH YOU!!!I LIKE YOUR COMMENT!!!
While I was reading this bolg, I was very confused. There were many words I didn’t understand, therefore I looked some of them up. Before reading this I thought Critical thinking was just bascially thinking about a problem and trying to explain it. I then realized it was much more. Critical thinking is the mode of thinking about anything. Any subject, any problem, and any content. There was one thing I was unclear on, though. When I looked up the word Rigorous I still didn’t understand it. Can someone put it into easier words??
Well though there were a lot of long words that may confuse many there were only i few that confused me that i looked up:
Exemplary- worthy of imitation
Breadth- an effect of unified encompassing vision in an artistic composition
entail-to bestow or impose on a person or a specified succesions of heirs
so yeah… i like to read big words
I didnt know what some words ment so i looked two of them up. Those words were mores and endeavor. Mores means the accepted traditional customs and usages of a particular social group. Endeavor means a conscientious or concerted effort toward an end;an earnest attempt.
I must say that critical thinking is more than I thought it would be, after reading that blog I am now more Intact with what Critical thinking is to be considered. I actully learned how to copy & paste on a MAC computer believe it or notl, you press the apple C at the same time to copy and to paste you press the apple and V keys. Yeah but anyways critical thinking is complicated stuff we are dealing with here thats for sure.
So all in all Critical Thinking is the mental prosses of actively and skillfully conceptualizing apply, analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating information to reach an awnser or conclusion. Thats what Dictionary.com says about Critical Thinking, is there an eaiser way to explain it?
there were alot of big words that i didnt know what they meant. i looked up breadth and systematically. The other words i had a basic understanding of by context clues. This article gave me a new understanding of critical reading. The two componets is what i understood best. Most of this is all new information for me, but i think i can understand it. I always thought critical thinking was just reading comprehension and wirtting.
The defintion of mores is the accepted traditonal customs and usages of a particular social group. What does conceptualizing mean? Critical thinking is a short, self directed,self disciplned, self-monitored,and seelf-corrective thiinking.
In this blog…there were lots of really big words I didnt understand,so many that I didnt even look them up, but it doesnt matter because I understood that critical thinking is more than just thinking, and its more than just reading. Its about how its the mode of thinking; and that critical thinking is alot about yourself.Also one word I did look up is the mord ‘mores’. I thought it meant like ‘more’ food or something….but i learned that it meant the accepted traditional customs and usages of a particular social group.
Ok at first I didnt get Critical Thinking but now i understand a lot more!!!There was a lot of words that were really hard to understand and i looked most of them up!!!But once i looked most of them up and i looked back on the word and it makes sence of the name!!!Acually i thought i knew what Critical Thinking was at first there was a lot i didnt know!!!Now i know much more just from reading tis page!!!
Sociocentrism- Taking one’s own social group as the standard by which others are measured.
—- I dont understand how that word is in any way related to critical thinking. ?
And also, if critical thinking is supposed to be a self-directed, self-disciplined, self- motivated class, why do we take it if were suppossed to be teaching ourselves??
But overall i, i found this information confusing, yet useful. I think i have now a better understanding of critical thinking and what the subject is all about.
I liked the article. I know what critical thinking is but I don’t know what exemplary, or pragmatically means. please if you know what it means tell me 🙂
Ok so I read the article and i found a few words that I didnt understand, so i looked them up on dictionary.com and this is what i found.
Synthesizing is a way to combine things.
Anthropological is a scientifics study of an origin like behavior or physical developments of humans.
I still dont know what the writer meant when h wrote “Critical Thinking varies according to the motivation underlying it.” So if anybody knows the answer get back at me =]]
I had only one idea of what crit.Thinking was but after research i read and it is looking beyond a picture or text you must look in that person or characters point of view and try to understand what there going threw now i know i must go the extra mile but as i read a word caught my eye called anthriprogical thinking if you guys agree please give your comments even harsh maybe just kidding : )
This blog was very informational.There were a few words that I didn’t know the definition of.Some of them were in the dictionary.One word was:
IMPLICIT-implied though not plainly expressed
Another was anthrapological thinking.
Even though that the page was very confusing, I understand more about critically thinking. Now I understand that critically thinking class is about discuss and share questions about something. To think beyond the information we read or see. The words in the paragraphs were very confusing and huge. I found out what the words mean that I was clueless about :
Conceptualizing-To form a concept or concepts of, and especially to interpret in a conceptual way: “Efforts to conceptualize the history and structure of the universe were already running into trouble because… the universe was not as uniform as had been assumed”
Consistency- Agreement or logical coherence among things or parts: a rambling argument that lacked any consistency.
Anthropological-The scientific study of the origin, the behavior, and the physical, social, and cultural development of humans.
Philosophical-Of, relating to, or based on a system of philosophy.
Jai stop playing around on the computer and write real comments that make sense!!!!!!!!!!Stop being dumb!!!!!!!!!!!
I didn’t understand alot of the words, and it was kind of hard to figure out. I looked up some words in the dictionary. It made alot of scence, I now i sort of know what critical thinking is.
This as a truely confusing piece,but it proves that there’s no way to control Critical thinking.It’s a universal subject that is a varible in life.I think the brain is confusing for changing thoughts like every minute,effecting your Critical think…
to matt burton: I agree to what you said as part of what critical thinking is, but there is more to the definition of critical thinking.
hey NIKKI i read your comment and i really understanded it … thx.. well hey anywayz..lol…
It was very complicated to read and some words i didn’t understand.
Personally before I read the blog page I thought this class was just about writing and reading. But now that I have read the blog I know that Critical thinking is alot more than just that. Also to my oppinion the blog page needed a little more color, pictures, and maybe even a little more information about the writer. It was kind of boring. But don’t get me wrong it was interesting, and I got to learn more of what Critical thinking was about.
I thought critical thinking was just another word or fancy word for reading. These are some words i didn’t understand conceptualizing,exemplary and relevance. I learned that it’s making
a thinker think more, and finding more information.It also helps you figure out something more advancely.
As I was reading the passeges, I slowly began to understand the concept of critical thinking.Before I just thought it was only going beyond what the question asks, but its more than just that.I also thought it was an advanced reading class, but its thinking critically about anything and any subject.I aso learned a new, more advanced word:mere.Now I feel better about Critical Thinking.
I never knew how many things critical thinking could be it was interesting to read. reading it over and over figuring the words such as acquisition Definition an asset or object bought or obtained typically by a library or museum. that was just one of the easy words. critical thinking is beyond thinking.
When I got in this class I thought that it would just be a reading class or a language arts class. But critical thinking is more than just reading and writing, it’s taking the information off of the page and shareing your knowlege. It’s also about learning how to write and explain what you wrote infront of an audeince. Critical thinking wil also prepare you for the fcat
If you use commense sense, critical thinking is thinking critically. But what does that mean? From what I read (which I only understood ten percent of) it occured to me that it’s questioning yourself. You wouldn’t think of it that way really, but that’s what discovered.
I thought that this piece of infromation is very confusing. The beginning was pretty hard to understand. What does pragamatically mean?
I think that Critical Thinking has something to do with letting your brain be able to expand and take it farther than where reading can take it,where learning can possibly take it. There’s always a question like what if this hapened instead of this, and what would happen if the world were to look like this. It’s like saying that there’s a new meaning to words that have been there for ever. Like if we take the word conceptualized. It seems like a big word, but the meaning of it is so easy: Form a concept or idea. So the biggest thing in the world could be the simplest if you look at in the a different way.
After reading this blog it made me realize that critical thinking wasn’t just an advanced reading class, but a class where we go in depth into a story and don’t just read, answer some questions and be done with it.I also found some words that i really didn’t know like pragmaticlly which i now know means “dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a that is based on pratical rather than theoretical considerations.”
When I heard of critical thinking I thought it was just an advanced reading class. But now I know this class is much more than that.Critical Thinking is asking questions about what you read and answering them, when you answer your question you have to critically think.
i thought critical thinking was just another reading class . but after reading this blog i now realize that critical thinking is more than a reading. its about motivation and learning new things.critical thinking is reading but with more involved.