Critical Thinking is reasonable reflective

thinking that is focused on deciding what to

believe or do.
- Robert Ennis, A Taxonomy of Critical
Thinking Dispositions and Abilities
(1987)
CRITICAL THINKER…
• Determines the relevance and
importance of arguments, questions,
and ideas.
• Understands the connection between
ideas.
• Identifies inconsistencies in reasoning.
• Recognizes, appraises, and builds
arguments.
• Reflects on the justification of his own
assumptions, beliefs, and values.
• Approaches problem solving in a
systematic way, favoring objectivity over
subjectivity.
Universal Intellectual Standards that are to
Paul-Elder (2001) Critical Thinking Framework
these elements are used to determine the
- Critical thinking is that mode of thinking
quality of reasoning.
– about any subject, content, or
problem. According to Paul and Elder (1997 ,2006), the
ultimate goal is for the standards of reasoning
Three Components of Critical Thinking
to become infused in all thinking so as to
according to Paul and Elder
become the guide to better and better
• elements of thought (reasoning) reasoning.
• intellectual standards that should be
➢ CLARITY is a clear statement. Relevancy
applied to the elements of reasoning.
and accuracy cannot be determined if a
• intellectual traits which is the result of
statement is unclear.
consistent and disciplined application of
➢ ACCURACY is a statement that is true. To
the intellectual standards and the
state something with accuracy is to say
elements of thought
something in accordance with how it
actually is.
➢ PRECISION is to give the details needed
for someone to understand exactly
what is meant.
➢ RELEVANCE something is relevant when
it is directly connected with and bears
upon the issue at hand.
 ➢ DEPTH we think deeply when we get o It is the ability to reconstruct
beneath the surface of an issue or accurately the viewpoints and
problem, identify the complexities reasoning of others.
inherent in it, and deal with those ❖ Intellectual Integrity - “I hold myself to
complexities. the same rigorous standards if thinking
➢ BREADTH when we consider the issue at and behavior to which I hold others.”
hand from every relevant viewpoint, o (no double standard, “walk the
makes our thinking myopic or narrow- talk”)
minded. ❖ Intellectual Perseverance - “I continue to
➢ LOGIC must be mutually supporting and struggle with confusion, frustration and
make sense in combination – making it uncertainty to gain understanding.”
logical. o It is the disposition to work your
➢ SIGNIFICANCE though many ideas may way through intellectual
be relevant to the issue, not all may be complexities.
equally important. We must then ❖ Intellectual Autonomy - “I
identify which information are independently think through questions
important to be consider in our and problems.”
reasoning. o It means thinking through issues
➢ FAIRNESS to be justified is to think fairly using one’s own thinking.
in context. In other words, it is to think ❖ Confidence in Reason - “I rely on the
objectively or in accord with reason. critical thinking process and trust its
Valuable Intellectual Traits results.”
Consistent application of the intellectual o It means using standards of
standards to the elements of reasoning result in reason as the fundamental
the development of intellectual traits of: criteria.
❖ Intellectual Humility - “I acknowledge ❖ Fairmindedness - “I strive to treat every
my biases and the limits of my viewpoint in an unbiased way without
knowledge.” reference to my own vested interests.”
o It is the knowledge of ignorance, o It implies adherence to
and sensitivity to what we intellectual standards without
know and what we don’t know. reference to one’s own
❖ Intellectual Courage - “I dare to question advantage or the advantage of
and challenge popular or long-held one’s own group.
beliefs in the face of new information or
evidence.”
o It includes questioning the
beliefs of your culture and the
groups to which you belong.
❖ Intellectual Empathy - “I consider others’
perspectives in order to accurately
reconstruct their viewpoints.”
o imaginatively put oneself in the
place of others
Barriers to Critical Thinking human conflict, intolerance,
and oppression.
There are five impediments that play a powerful ➢ Conformism refers to our tendency to
role in hindering critical thinking. follow the crowd — that is to conform
(often unthinkingly) to authority or to
EGOCENTRISM is the tendency to see reality as group standards of conduct and belief.
centered on oneself.
- selfish, self-absorbed people who view RELATIVISM is the view that truth is a matter of
their interests, ideas, and values as opinion.
superior to everyone’s else’s.
Forms of RELATIVISM
Common Forms of EGOCENTRISM
➢ Self-interested thinking is the tendency ➢ Subjectivism is the view that truth is a
to accept and defend beliefs that matter of individual opinion.
harmonize with one’s self-interest. o According to subjectivism,
➢ Self-interested thinking It demands that whatever an individual believes
we weigh evidence and arguments is true, is true for than person,
objectively and impartially. and there is no such things as
➢ Self-serving bias creates know-it-alls “objective” or “absolute” truth.
who claim to be more talented or ➢ Cultural Relativism is the view that
knowledgeable. Look honestly and truth is a matter of social and cultural
overconfidence is an obstacle. opinion.

➢ Moral Relativism is the idea that there

SOCIOCENTRISM is group-centered thinking. It are no absolute or universal moral
can hinder rational thinking by focusing values.
excessively on the group.
o Moral Subjectivism
Common Forms of SOCIOCENTRISM o Cultural Moral Relativism must
be tolerant of other cultures’
➢ Group bias is the tendency to see one’s
moral beliefs and values.
own group (nation, tribe, sect, peer
group, and the like) as being inherently WISHFUL THINKING is believing something
better than others. because it makes one feel good, not because
o we find it easy to hold inflated there is good reason for thinking that is true.
views of our family, our
- Decisions based on wishful thinking are
community, or our nation.
typically emotional decisions. These
o find it easy to look with
decisions are based on hopes and
suspicion or disfavor on those
expectations rather than facts and
we regard as “outsiders.”
evidence.
o It is common for people to grow
- Intellectual laziness makes people do
up thinking that their society’s
wishful thinking because it is less taxing,
beliefs, institutions, and values
than critical thinking which is difficult
are better.
and consumes mental resources.
o “Mine-is-better” thinking lies at
the root of a great deal of
ARGUMENT a claim defended with reasons writer happens to believe. Such
that are supported by evidence. statements can be true or false, rational
- composed of one or more premises or irrational.
(evidence or reasons) and a conclusion ➢ CONDITIONAL STATEMENT is an if-then
(intended to prove or support). statement.
- argument, accordingly, is a group of ➢ ILLUSTRATIONS are intended to provide
statements. examples of a claim, rather than prove
A statement is a sentence that can be viewed as or support the claim.
either true or false and some are controversial. ➢ EXPLANATION tries to show why
something is the case, not to prove that
In identifying premises and conclusions, we are it is the case.
often helped by indicator words.
There are four basic tests that we can use to
distinguish arguments from explanations:

Common-Knowledge Test - Is the statement that

the passage seeks to prove or explain a matter of
common knowledge?

Past-Event Test - Is the statement that the

passage is seeking to prove or explain an event
that occurred in the past?

Author’s Intent Test - Is the speaker’s or writer’s

intent to prove or establish that something is the
case— that is.

- To provide reasons or evidence for

accepting a claim as true? AN
ARGUMENT
- To offer an account of why some event
What is NOT an ARGUMENT?
has occurred or why something is the
Something counts as an argument when: way it is? AN EXPLANATION
1. It is a group of two or more statements Principle of Charity - When interpreting an
and unclear passage, always give the speaker/writer
2. one of those statements (the conclusion) the benefit of the doubt.
is claimed or intended to be supported - always interpret unclear passages
by the others (the premises). generously.
Five types of nonargumentative discourse: "The principle of charity, roughly, requires that
we try to find the best - the most reasonable or
➢ REPORT is simply to convey information
plausible - (rather than the worst) possible
about a subject. aims to narrate and
interpretation of what we read and hear, i.e., of
inform, not to offer reasons why one
what other people say. “(Rosalind Hursthouse)
statement should be accepted.
➢ UNSUPPORTED ASSERTIONS are
statements about what a speaker or