Critical Thinker Habitually Pulls Back the Curtain

I guess, for all of us, a meme that gives impetuous to much of our behavior is the “capitalism is good” meme. This meme, with its closest suburbs, probably represents a fundamental element of the dominant ideology of western culture.

This cluster of memes contains the wonderful “doing good by doing well” meme. This is the rascal that allows us to follow our imperialistic impulses. This meme allows us to invade Iraq under false pretenses, it allows us to open our borders to those who will work cheap, it allows for the “trickle down” economic theory, it allowed the Nineteenth Century imperialism practiced by our European cousins, etc.

Most of the memes we live by have never been examined by any of us. I suspect this one, in particular, needs to be placed on the table for close individual examination.

We saw the Nineteenth Century birth of a new economic entity, the corporation. A recent delivery of a new economic entity has occurred. This is the corporation-state. The new supranational corporation is here and on a fast freight. I suspect all these things happened too fast for a liberal democracy to encompass; so much for liberal democracy.

CT is about analyzing and understanding.

One thing I have learned about playing chess is that for almost every move there is a bad judgment a good judgment and a better judgment. And I also learned that one pays a price for each bad judgment.

In life we are constantly making judgments. There is an art and science for judgment making and it is called Critical Thinking. Our schools and colleges have prepared us to make good judgments about special matters as it might pertain to our job but have done little to prepare us for the constant judgment making. CT is about learning how to think.


Perhaps philosophy should be an advocate of “lets take a meme out for examination” day.

critical thinking or just plain critical.

critical thinking or condemnation.

critical thinking or complaining.

want to make a difference? or just want to point out your dissatisfaction.

I am having a problem with your motive. Seems like you just want to write your thoughts. No answers.

Make a difference with just one person and you have a chance to make a difference in this world. Come down from the mountain and give the gift of making a change in someone's life.

Can't quite get with you on your posts. I make no apology.

Twinkletoes

Critical Thinking: Art and science of good judgment

The first step toward solving our problems is to learn CT (Critical Thinking).

CT is an acronym for Critical Thinking. Everybody considers themselves to be a critical thinker. That is why we need to differentiate among different levels of critical thinking.

Most people fall in the category that I call Reagan thinkers—trust but verify. Then there are those who have taken the basic college course taught by the philosophy dept that I call Logic 101. This is a credit course that teaches the basic principles of reasoning. Of course, a person need not take the college course and can learn the matter on their own effort, but I suspect few do that.

The third level I call CT (Critical Thinking). CT includes the knowledge of Logic 101 and also the knowledge that focuses upon the intellectual character and attitude of critical thinking. It includes knowledge regarding the ego and social centric forces that impede rational thinking.

Most decisions we have to make are judgment calls. A judgment call is made when we must make a decision when there is no “true” or “false” answers. When we make a judgment call our decision is bad, good, or better.

Many factors are involved: there are the available facts, assumptions, skills, knowledge, and especially personal experience and attitude. I think that the two most important elements in the mix are personal experience and attitude.

When we study math we learn how to use various algorithms to facilitate our skill in dealing with quantities. If we never studied math we could deal with quantity on a primary level but our quantifying ability would be minimal. Likewise with making judgments; if we study the art and science of good judgment we can make better decisions and if we never study the art and science of judgment our decision ability will remain minimal.

I am convinced that a fundamental problem we have in this country (USA) is that our citizens have never learned the art and science of good judgment. Before the recent introduction of CT into our schools and colleges our young people have been taught primarily what to think and not how to think. All of us graduated with insufficient comprehension of the knowledge, skills, and attitude necessary for the formulation of good judgment. The result of this inability to make good judgment is evident and is dangerous.

I am primarily interested in the judgment that adults exercise in regard to public issues. Of course, any improvement in judgment generally will affect both personal and community matters.

To put the matter into a nut shell:
1. Normal men and women can significantly improve their ability to make judgments.
2. CT is the domain of knowledge that delineates the knowledge, skills, and intellectual character demanded for good judgment.
3. CT has been introduced into our schools and colleges slowly in the last two or three decades.
4. Few of today’s adults were ever taught CT.
5. I suspect that at least another two generations will pass before our society reaps significant rewards resulting from teaching CT to our children.
6. Can our democracy survive that long?
7. I think that every effort must be made to convince today’s adults that they need to study and learn CT on their own. I am not suggesting that adults find a teacher but I am suggesting that adults become self-actualizing learners.
8. I am convinced that learning the art and science of Critical Thinking is an important step toward becoming a better citizen in today’s democratic society.

Just pondering...

If this is a political thread, and I am detecting hints of such, should it not be denoted with the "P" icon?

It seems to me that the art and science of good judgement could easily begin with addressing another by her own name.

This one hit 24 other forums, verbatim.

Read the Bible and learn to be a person of sound mind and thinking. I "think" maybe your "thinking" too much about thinking???

Hi Coberst, Your posts require a lot of thinking to really get what you are saying. Myself, I have read them a few times trying to come up with an intelligent response and unfortunately do not have one. I guess this is not one either.

Can you share a little more of your personal side with us? Many members here have come to consider others like family and that comes through sharing the more personal side of their lives. Your posts so far have been very technical and that makes it hard for us to understand where you are coming from.

Also, can you address why you post the same post in several other forums? I am sure you will get so many different answers depending on where you post, but I am very curious as to why? ...Sue

Critical thinking is thinking one does on their own by reading and observing, not by using the words of others to impress.

you have interesting theories but as an ex-educator I require more concrete statements:

1. How do you propose how CT can be taught to all levels of thinkers and non-trhinkers. Are all in our society up to it emotionally and mentally? What should we do with those who can't?

2. How will critical thinking solve ours problems. Are you kind of recommending we teach all thinkers to think one way? Because to allow free thought and free will doesn't seem to organize but to separate, but then again, I'm a big fan of free-thinking and free will. I think, but not everyone always agree with me.

3. I find acronyms are often secular, understood by individuals dealing with them on a daily basis. Took me while to learn the MS lingo - DMD,LMAO,WC, DH, BF etc.When I was a special Ed, teacher we has ED (no, not erectile dysfuntion!!) LD, MR, CP, NI, PI, etc. We teachers could all understand that lingo. But it was part of our job.

4. I used to be an English major and admired Hemingway. He advised when writing not to use big words or theoretical concepts, but small understandable words and real things could be used. Try not to make it clear as mud.

5. "Normal" men and women. Please define your definition of "Normal. he average ""normal" IQ is 100 using a bell curve, but I don't really know any. That "Normal" is not very impressive.


I am confused, I don't think so good anymore. Do you have MS? What's your point? If lesions attack and drive out your critical thinking parts, what should society do with you?

Sue

I am a retired engineer, I have 5 children and 7 grandchildren, I live in the Smoky Mountains of southwestern North Carolina.

I have a good bit of formal education and twenty five years of self-learning. I began the self-learning experience while in my mid-forties. I had no goal in mind; I was just following my intellectual curiosity in whatever direction it led me. This hobby, self-learning, has become very important to me. I have bounced around from one hobby to another but have always been enticed back by the excitement I have discovered in this learning process. Carl Sagan is quoted as having written; “Understanding is a kind of ecstasy.”

I label myself as a September Scholar because I began the process at mid-life and because my quest is disinterested knowledge.

In my learning journey I have become convinced that the citizens of the United States must become more intellectually sophisticated if our civilization is to survive another 200 years. Out technological ingenuity has provided us with very powerful things and we have not developed the understanding commensurate with the power of this technology.

Our command of the natural sciences has not been matched by our command and control of our self and our community. It is imperative that adults quickly overcome the idea that we can store our intellect in the attic with our year book when our school daze are over.

I post on many forums because I am trying to convince adults that self-actualizing self-learning is not only necessary but it also very satisfying..