Unit 1　Leaders and Leadership

Section I
Focus on Critical Thinking and Critical Reading (1)

What Is Critical Thinking?

Thinking is a purposeful, organized cognitive process that we use to make sense of our world. What is critical thinking?

Critical thinking is the objective analysis of facts to form a judgment. The subject is complex, and there are several different definitions which generally include the rational, skeptical, unbiased analysis or evaluation of factual evidence. (Wikipedia)

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. (Paul, Fisher and Noish, 1993)

Open-Minded Approach

The ability to think critically is essential, as it creates new possibilities in problem solving. Being "open-minded" is a large part of critical thinking, allowing a person to not only seek out all possible answers to a problem, but also accept an answer that is different from what was originally expected. Open-minded thinking requires that a person does not assume that his or her way of approaching a situation is always the best or even right. A scientist, for example, must be open to the idea that the results of an experiment will not be what is expected; such results, though challenging, often lead to tremendous and meaningful discoveries.

Rational Considerations

Another aspect of critical thinking is the ability to approach a problem or situation rationally. Rationality requires analyzing all known information, and making judgments or analyses based on the fact or evidence, rather than the opinion or emotion. An honest approach to reasoning requires a thinker to acknowledge personal goals, motives, and emotions that might color his or her opinions or thought processes. Rational thought involves identifying and eliminating prejudices, so that someone can have a fresh and objective approach to a problem.

Empathy

Critical thinking often relies on the ability to view the world in a way that does not focus on the self. Empathizing with a person usually involves a thinker trying to put himself or herself in the place of someone else. This is often done by students of history, for example, in an attempt to see the world as someone would have while living in an ancient civilization or during a violent conflict. Communication skills, teamwork, and cooperation are typically improved through empathy, which makes it valuable in many professional fields.

The most important thing in critical thinking is to figure out the reasons we have for believing something and the implications of our beliefs. We seek to evaluate or assess the validity of the information and opinions we encounter.

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

1) Effectively identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments;

2) Discover and overcome personal prejudices and biases;

3) Formulate and present convincing reasons in support of conclusions;

4) Make reasonable, intelligent decisions about what to believe and what to do.

Critical thinking involves analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating an argument or claim. It requires us to deconstruct an argument, bring elements of the argument together in a new form, and judge the strengths and weaknesses of that argument. That requires us to have some skills for critical thinking.

Approaches to Critical Thinking

The approaches to life and living which characterize critical thinking include:

1) Inquisitiveness with regard to a wide range of issues;

2) Concern to become and remain well-informed;

3) Alertness to opportunities to use critical thinking;

4) Trust in the processes of reasoned inquiry;

5) Self-confidence in one's own abilities to reason;

6) Open-mindedness regarding divergent world views;

7) Flexibility in considering alternatives and opinions;

8) Understanding of the opinions of other people;

9) Fair-mindedness in appraising reasoning;

10) Honesty in facing one's own biases, prejudices, stereotypes, or egocentric tendencies;

11) Prudence in suspending, making or altering judgments;

12) Willingness to reconsider and revise views where honest reflection suggests that change is warranted.