Chapter 1 Critical Thinking is the ability to think

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Chapter 1
Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally about what to do or what to believe. It includes the ability to engage in reflective and independent thinking. Someone with critical thinking skills is able to understand the logical connections between ideas.
Critical thinking means making clear, reasoned judgments. During the process of critical thinking, ideas should be reasoned and well thought out/judged. Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating information gathered from observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.

1. 
   Etymology
   

The word critical (Greek. κριτικός = kritikos = "critic") derives from the word critic. It identifies the intellectual capacity and the means "of judging", "of judgment", "for judging", and of being "able to discern".
According to Richard Paul and Linda Elder:

2. 
   According to Richard Paul and Linda Elder, 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.
  

C

1. 
   Reflect
   
2. 
   Rational
   
3. 
   Barriers
   
4. 
   Hinder
   
5. 
   Cajole
   
6. 
   Perspective
   
7. 
   Unbiased
   
8. 
   Embed
   
9. 
   Stereotype
   

ritical 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 socio-centrism.

3. 
   Benefits of Critical Thinking
   

1. 
   Reflect
   
2. 
   Exercise good rational judgments
   
3. 
   Think through things for ourselves
   
4. 
   Learn to select relevant matters
   
5. 
   Do things on the basis of reason
   
6. 
   Be open minded
   

4. 
   G
   10. 
       Scare
       
   11. 
       Diffidence
       
   12. 
       Ingrain
       
   13. 
       Megalomaniac
       
   14. 
       Determine
       
   uidelines to examine a problem
   

1. 
   S: State a problem
   
2. 
   E: Elaborate it
   
3. 
   E: Exemplify
   
4. 
   I: Illustrate
   

1. 
   Barriers to critical thinking
   

1. 
   Social brainwashing and our views of the world
   
2. 
   Tendencies to think in binaries
   
3. 
   Fears regarding free thinking
   
4. 
   Egocentrism
   
5. 
   Personal interests and personal experiences
   

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

6. 
   Reasoning
   

The ability to think logically is called reasoning. Good reasoning is based on critical thinking. Critical reasoning is helpful to examine a situation rationally and judiciously to make reliable judgments. Arguments are the vital parts of reasoning.

7. 
   Questions ( Critical thinking, academic writing and presentation skills-CAP)
   

1. 
   What are the great benefits of critical thinking? (Ref. Page no.2 of CAP)
   
2. 
   What are the qualities of a critical thinker? (Ref. Page no.2 of CAP)
   
3. 
   What are the guidelines for examining a problem? (Ref. Page no.2 of CAP)
   
4. 
   Define critical thinking? (Ref. Page no.1 and 2 of CAP)
   
5. 
   What are the barriers to critical thinking? (Ref. Page no.2 and 3 of CAP)
   
6. 
   What is reasoning? (Ref. Page no.4 of CAP)
   
7. 
   What is the reason behind the statement that Arguments are the important parts of reasoning?
   

8. 
   Reference
   

1. 
   Richard Paul and Linda Elder, The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools, Foundation for Critical Thinking Press, 2008)
   

06/01/2016 Critical Thinking, Academic Writing and Presentation Skills