Be all that you can be
 

Be all that you can be

No, I am not suggesting that you join the Marines!

“The religious believer assigns dignity to whatever his religion holds sacred—a set of moral laws, a way of life, or particular objects of worship. He grows angry when the dignity of what he holds sacred is violated.” Quote from “The End of History and the Last Man”.

To what does the non believer assign dignity? If the non believer does not assign dignity to rationality and self-actualization, upon what foundation does s/he stand? If the non believer does depend upon rationality and self-actualization for dignity how is it possible that so few know anything about such matters?

Abraham Maslow tells us that there are two processes necessary for self-actualization: self exploration and action. Self exploration is very important, the deeper the self exploration, the closer one comes to self-actualization. Self-actualization results from our desire to actualize our potential. As the Marines might say “Be all that you can be”.

I think that the area in which Western society fails most egregiously is in the matter of an intellectual life after schooling. We have a marvelous brain that goes into the attic after schooling is complete and is brought out only occasionally on the job or when we try to play bridge or chess.

It appears to me that the fundamental problem faced by most Western democracies is a lack of intellectual sophistication of the total population. Our colleges and universities have prepared young people to become good producers and consumers. The college graduate has a large specialized database that allows that individual to quickly enter the corporate world as a useful cog in the machine. The results display themselves in our thriving high standard of living, high technology corporate driven life styles.

Our schools and colleges are beginning to introduce our young people to the domain of knowledge called Critical Thinking. CT is taught because our educators have begun to recognize that teaching a young person what to think is not sufficient for the citizens of a democracy in an age of high technology. CT is an attempt to teach young people how to think. Like the adage about giving a man a fish versus teaching him how to fish, a youngster who knows how to think is prepared for a lifetime rather than for a day.

What about today’s adult? Today’s adult was educated in a time when schools and colleges never gave universal instruction in the art and science of thinking—rationality.

If today’s adult wishes to learn CT s/he must learn it on their own nickel. I think a good read to begin with is this one
http://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Educ/EducHare.htm

Re: Be all that you can be
 

I agree. People just don't know how to think and don't care to learn. It's so depressing to me.

Re: Be all that you can be
 

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I think that the area in which Western society fails most egregiously is in the matter of an intellectual life after schooling.

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And how do we compare with other societies?

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I think that the area in which Western society fails most egregiously is in the matter of an intellectual life after schooling.

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And how do we compare with other societies?

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I do not know. I suspect all capitalistic societies are the same. Our educational system prepares us to be good little producers and consumers and not to be critical thinking individuals.

Re: Be all that you can be
 

I agree. I think there should be more problem solving and rational thinking taught in schools. I don't want to be one of those guys who says that chemistry and physics are pointless because you are never going to use it, but I think most people (well, dumb people) would be better taking CT classes. Evolution and understanding the way our minds work also seem like they should be taught more in school.

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I think that the area in which Western society fails most egregiously is in the matter of an intellectual life after schooling.

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And how do we compare with other societies?

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I do not know. I suspect all capitalistic societies are the same. Our educational system prepares us to be good little producers and consumers and not to be critical thinking individuals.

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I think everywhere in the world is like this, but its pretty sad that in a country as rich as the United States that people are so dumb and lazy.

Re: Be all that you can be
 

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I think that the area in which Western society fails most egregiously is in the matter of an intellectual life after schooling.

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And how do we compare with other societies?

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I do not know. I suspect all capitalistic societies are the same. Our educational system prepares us to be good little producers and consumers and not to be critical thinking individuals.

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I just don't get what society has to do with any of this. Aren't we better off in this regard than more primitive ones? Sure we have work to do, but you can't blame western society for that. It's not like we aren't making progress. Look at the general state of education 100 years ago for instance.

Re: Be all that you can be
 

tim

It depends upon what you calculate progress to be. We have created a tchnology that provides us with the power to destroy the planet. We have created a people who are rapidly eating the planet. We have just passed through a century that is the most despicable I can imagine. This is progress?

Re: Be all that you can be
 

I like this thread, coberst. And I agree with most here that rational thought is something that needs to be more of a focus in schools. I know where I went to school (midwestern US), only ~5% of the students were exposed to critical thinking through highschool. We had a gifted/talented program (I don't know what they call it now, probably something like accelerated learning) that focused almost entirely on critical thinking. After college, it still holds up as the most enjoyable line of classes I've ever taken. And regarding the last few posts, I think with democracy and the way people generally vote for people who are most like them, the ability of the masses to think critically is obviously important. Of course capitalism is a machine that needs plenty of cogs, but the decisions of millions of unthinking cogs can really screw things up.

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It depends upon what you calculate progress to be. We have created a tchnology that provides us with the power to destroy the planet. We have created a people who are rapidly eating the planet. We have just passed through a century that is the most despicable I can imagine. This is progress?

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You moved the target. I was specifically referring to progress in education.

I don't disagree with you on the importance of teaching critical thinking. I just don't agree with all the "we suck" rhetoric that comes along with it.

Please suggest a culture past or present that did or does a better job of teaching critical thinking to the masses than western style society.

Re: Be all that you can be
 

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Abraham Maslow tells us that there are two processes necessary for self-actualization: self exploration and action. Self exploration is very important, the deeper the self exploration, the closer one comes to self-actualization. Self-actualization results from our desire to actualize our potential. As the Marines might say “Be all that you can be”.


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But what does this really mean? It's too vague for my liking.

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I think that the area in which Western society fails most egregiously is in the matter of an intellectual life after schooling. We have a marvelous brain that goes into the attic after schooling is complete and is brought out only occasionally on the job or when we try to play bridge or chess.

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Our brain isn't used in socializing or working? I think it's silly to only relate "the brain" to academic study.

I do agree that critical thinking is an important trait to have. I don't know how much it can be taught, as people vary widely in their taste for engaging in it. I believe preference for thinking critically is actually considered a key personality trait by a lot of personality theorists.

Re: Be all that you can be
 

I actually read an article a few months ago on teaching kids "critical thinking skills". Basically, it's not very effective. You can teach kids strategies for specific classes of problems, but it's very difficult to teach people how to "think critically". Classes specifically designed to teach students critical thinking skills only taught them how to solve problems that were very similar to those they learned in class.

Basically it was concluded that it is more important to teach kids about a breadth of areas and show them how they are inter-related. Exposure to different ideas and different modes of thought is very important.

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It depends upon what you calculate progress to be. We have created a tchnology that provides us with the power to destroy the planet. We have created a people who are rapidly eating the planet. We have just passed through a century that is the most despicable I can imagine. This is progress?

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You moved the target. I was specifically referring to progress in education.

I don't disagree with you on the importance of teaching critical thinking. I just don't agree with all the "we suck" rhetoric that comes along with it.

Please suggest a culture past or present that did or does a better job of teaching critical thinking to the masses than western style society.

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It is possible that primitive humans had a better society, I am not sure, I am studying the possibility. The question is not is there any culture that has done better but the question is do we have the brains to do a lot better.

I am convinced that we have the brains to do much better. Our educational system teaches us to be good producers and consumers who are not capaable of doing critical thinking.

Re: Be all that you can be
 

foal

I have decided that Critical Thinking can usefully be thought of as ‘philosophy light’. I am a retired engineer and have an MA in philosophy. More importantly I am a self-actualizing self-learner and I have learned the significance and importance of CT and of philosophy.

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.

Re: Be all that you can be
 

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It is possible that primitive humans had a better society, I am not sure, I am studying the possibility.

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If you can consider this, you have to place a very low value on individual life and happiness. For one thing, how could you say that it is possible that it would be better to live in a time when simple infections and injuries, easily treated today, were just death sentences back then.

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I am convinced that we have the brains to do much better. Our educational system teaches us to be good producers and consumers who are not capaable of doing critical thinking.

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Most people have other concerns they would rather focus on. You can try to teach critical thinking all you want, but when thinking itself is stigmatized among a large segment of the population, you aren't going to get very far. We have to address that first.

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It depends upon what you calculate progress to be. We have created a tchnology that provides us with the power to destroy the planet. We have created a people who are rapidly eating the planet. We have just passed through a century that is the most despicable I can imagine. This is progress?

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You moved the target. I was specifically referring to progress in education.

I don't disagree with you on the importance of teaching critical thinking. I just don't agree with all the "we suck" rhetoric that comes along with it.

Please suggest a culture past or present that did or does a better job of teaching critical thinking to the masses than western style society.

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It's nothing to do with Western/Nonwestern. One reason the United States does poorly in critical thinking is that it is strongly religious and hence opposed to critical thinking in some areas. In particular, religious people are brought up to believe everything told to them by authority figures. This might seem like armchair psychology, but reflect on the fact that a recent poll showed that 40% of American Republicans still believe that Saddam Hussein personally planned 9/11. That's an absolute disgrace that requires some kind of explanation. I don't think you'd find that level of ignorance on anything so important in Australia. The first reaction of Australians to what they are told by politicians or the media is generally skepticism.

Re: Be all that you can be
 

Tim

I place a very high value upon individual life and happiness. Because I do so is my reason for trying to comprehend why we do the things we do and if it is possible for us to do better. I think history plainly tells us that we are doing an extremely poor job in developing a proper world. Our ignorance and apathy allows us to live in our illusions and makes it extremely difficult to comprehend what a world we have created.

I am trying, here in this forum, to do as you suggest “You can try to teach critical thinking all you want, but when thinking itself is stigmatized among a large segment of the population, you aren't going to get very far. We have to address that first.”

Re: Be all that you can be
 

Chris

The problem is not religion, the problem is the anti-intellectual attitudes of the vast majority of the population in the US and their ignorance and apathy.

Re: Be all that you can be
 

The problem is more likely a gross over-simplification and and strong use of stereotypes. Sorry for the harsh words but the old 'people are stupid' argument I hear people who like to think of themselves as 'intellectuals' use over and over again grows old. It is far more probable that people are just people, and that these intellectuals should worry about more what they can do than what everybody else should do.

Re: Be all that you can be
 

I agree with you.

Re: Be all that you can be
 

I agree with respect to how important critical thinking is. However I think it not something that can be taught easily because I think it is closely related to what we usually call 'intelligence'. So closely related, that it is also nature/nurture deterministic from infancy to about the age of 8.

Critical thought is the ability to simulate a proposition and recognize novel or implied issues with practicality. Critical thinking is not a skill that can be learned because the majority of the 'work' done in this process is unconscious. The critical thinker does not analyze every single aspect of a proposition with his upper level thinking (aka consciously) and look for flaws. If he did, he would spend the majority of his time on meaningless details. Rather parts of the critical thinker's mind are so adept at running these simulations on their own that they can run millions or billions of them - all with slight permutations - and simultaneously filter out the unrealistic ones while presenting the profound ones to his higher levels of thought. These 'profound ones' are the only ones he is conscious of

As we mature, our ability to become 'smarter' dwindles to simple associative memory. Certainly a large amount of expertise can be gained from associative memory as it is a powerful tool. But we cannot change our thinking paradigms, and it is my hunch that we cannot change our ability to critically think any more than we can change our 'intelligence'.

Re: Be all that you can be
 

m

Knowledge and skill can be taught but attitude must come from inner resources.

Re: Be all that you can be
 

Exactly. I think critical thinking is best considered a characterizing habit or an attitude, rather than a skill.

I'd analogize trying to teach critical thinking to trying to teach an introvert to become an extrovert. You can teach him a whole array of social skills, but ultimately you will fail because it is not the skills but rather the seemingly intrinsic ability to use them that makes it effectual.

Re: Be all that you can be
 

Yeah, the critical thinking thing is a big problem in the US. I tend to agree with everything in ChrisV's post too. People just don't care, they accept their lives, society, and the ways things are molded for them as reality; and then that's it. They gripe and complain about some things, but it's all in vain; there's never any analysis, no one seeks the truth about anything, let alone put in some effort to change things, even simple things in their life.

I pay $35k/year to attend a private university and people have "WHO READS?!" under their favorite books on various profiles. People ask me what I'm reading sometimes and undoubtedly their expression becomes puzzled: "Whaaaat?! that's not for class? lol why are you reading it? fun ?" Then I grimace. I don't know why I'm here. Wish I could get a degree from 2+2 [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Re: Be all that you can be
 

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Critical thought is the ability to simulate a proposition and recognize novel or implied issues with practicality. Critical thinking is not a skill that can be learned because the majority of the 'work' done in this process is unconscious. The critical thinker does not analyze every single aspect of a proposition with his upper level thinking (aka consciously) and look for flaws. If he did, he would spend the majority of his time on meaningless details. Rather parts of the critical thinker's mind are so adept at running these simulations on their own that they can run millions or billions of them - all with slight permutations - and simultaneously filter out the unrealistic ones while presenting the profound ones to his higher levels of thought. These 'profound ones' are the only ones he is conscious of

As we mature, our ability to become 'smarter' dwindles to simple associative memory. Certainly a large amount of expertise can be gained from associative memory as it is a powerful tool. But we cannot change our thinking paradigms, and it is my hunch that we cannot change our ability to critically think any more than we can change our 'intelligence'.

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Great post, m. This is stuff I think about frequently. I grew up from age 5-18ish spending 90% of my free time playing video games. I learned nothing knowledge-wise (which I now regret a bit) but have developed strong critical thinking skills; and it really is nearly all unconscious. And it takes time to develop. But I do think it can be learned if you're still young enough (<24 or so.)

A couple of years ago I started thinking about writing a book on critical thinking. I was obsessed for a while, and started researching how best to go about doing it. This lead me, quite naturally, to various philosophy books. I liked Nietzsche a lot, it was more accessible to me than some of the more rigid and dry stuff I'd been exposed to. Exploring my own tenancies, re-evaluating my own values (as N puts it), studying my own behavior, and realizing that doing so was inherently valuable in itself - for almost every facet of my life! Anyhow, my idea of writing that CT book evolved a bit to what I now conceptualize as this "value of philosophy." I think you can teach people that, and it will consequently lead to better and more frequent critical thought.

If you're focusing on your own mind and instincts, the forces behind your actions and trying to learn about yourself, is "unlearning" thinking tendencies conceivable? And, as one brings light to these things, and the knowledge becomes incorporated into general thought, can these simulations you talk about start to develop? FWIW, I agree that a certain level of intelligence is needed for critical thought. But from my experience, I believe there to be intelligent folks with underdeveloped CT skills that could be sharpened.

Re: Be all that you can be
 

Just to give you an idea of some of the things that CT consists of I post the following that I found on the Internet:

Just to give you an idea of what CT is about and that it is much more than attitude I have copied the following info from the Internet:

This info was taken from workbooks for classes K-12. This list is found in the following handbooks: Critical Thinking Handbook: k-3, Critical Thinking Handbook: 4-6, Critical Thinking Handbook: 6-9, Critical Thinking Handbook: High School.


A. Affective Strategies
S-1 thinking independently
Thru
S-9 developing confidence in reason

B. Cognitive Strategies - Macro-Abilities
S-10 refining generalizations and avoiding oversimplifications
Thru
S-26 reasoning dialectically: evaluating perspectives, interpretations, or theories

C. Cognitive Strategies - Micro-Skills
S-27 comparing and contrasting ideals with actual practice
Thru
S-35 exploring implications and consequences

S-1 Thinking Independently

Principle: Critical thinking is independent thinking, thinking for oneself. Many of our beliefs are acquired at an early age, when we have a strong tendency to form beliefs for irrational reasons (because we want to believe, because we are praised or rewarded for believing). Critical thinkers use critical skills and insights to reveal and reject beliefs that are irrational.

S-2 Developing Insight Into Egocentricity or Sociocentricity

Principle: Egocentricity means confusing what we see and think with reality. When under the influence of egocentricity, we think that the way we see things is exactly the way things are. Egocentricity manifests itself as an inability or unwillingness to consider others' points of view, a refusal to accept ideas or facts which would prevent us from getting what we want (or think we want).

S-3 Exercising Fairmindedness

Principle: To think critically, we must be able to consider the strengths and weaknesses of opposing points of view; to imaginatively put ourselves in the place of others in order to genuinely understand them; to overcome our egocentric tendency to identify truth with our immediate perceptions or long-standing thought or belief.

S-4 Exploring Thoughts Underlying Feelings and Feelings Underlying Thoughts

Principle: Although it is common to separate thought and feeling as though they were independent, opposing forces in the human mind, the truth is that virtually all human feelings are based on some level of thought and virtually all thought generative of some level of feeling. To think with self-understanding and insight, we must come to terms with the intimate connections between thought and feeling, reason and emotion.

S-5 Developing Intellectual Humility and Suspending Judgment

Principle: Critical thinkers recognize the limits of their knowledge. They are sensitive to circumstances in which their native egocentricity is likely to function self-deceptively; they are sensitive to bias, prejudice, and limitations of their views. Intellectual humility is based on the recognition that one should not claim more than one actually knows. It does not imply spinelessness or submissiveness.

S-6 Developing Intellectual Courage

Principle: To think independently and fairly, one must feel the need to face and fairly deal with unpopular ideas, beliefs, or viewpoints. The courage to do so arises when we see that ideas considered dangerous or absurd are sometimes rationally justified (in whole or in part) and that conclusions or beliefs inculcated in us are sometimes false or misleading.

S-7 Developing Intellectual Good Faith or Integrity

Principle: Critical thinkers recognize the need to be true to their own thought, to be consistent in the intellectual standards they apply, to hold themselves to the same rigorous standards of evidence and proof to which they hold others, to practice what they advocate for others, and to honestly admit discrepancies and inconsistencies in their own thought and action. They believe most strongly what has been justified by their own thought and analyzed experience.

S-8 Developing Intellectual Perseverance

Principle: Becoming a more critical thinker is not easy. It takes time and effort. Critical thinking is reflective and recursive; that is, we often think back to previous problems to re-consider or re-analyze them. Critical thinkers are willing to pursue intellectual insights and truths in spite of difficulties, obstacles, and frustrations.

S-9 Developing Confidence in Reason

Principle: The rational person recognizes the power of reason and the value of disciplining thinking in accordance with rational standards. Virtually all of the progress that has been made in science and human knowledge testifies to this power, and so to the reasonability of having confidence in reason.

S-10 Refining Generalizations and Avoiding Oversimplifications

Principle: It is natural to seek to simplify problems and experiences to make them easier to deal with. Everyone does this. However, the uncritical thinker often oversimplifies and as a result misrepresents problems and experiences.

S-11 Comparing Analogous Situations: Transferring Insights to New Contexts

Principle: An idea's power is limited by our ability to use it. Critical thinkers' ability to use ideas mindfully enhances their ability to transfer ideas critically. They practice using ideas and insights by appropriately applying them to new situations. This allows them to organize materials and experiences in different ways, to compare and contrast alternative labels, to integrate their understanding of different situations, and to find useful ways to think about new situations.

S-12 Developing One's Perspective: Creating or Exploring Beliefs, Arguments, or Theories

Principle: The world is not given to us sliced up into categories with pre-assigned labels on them. There are always many ways to "divide up" and so experience the world. How we do so is essential to our thinking and behavior. Uncritical thinkers assume that their perspective on things is the only correct one. Selfish critical thinkers manipulate the perspectives of others to gain advantage for themselves.

S-13 Clarifying Issues, Conclusions, or Beliefs

Principle: The more completely, clearly, and accurately an issue or statement is formulated, the easier and more helpful the discussion of its settlement or verification. Given a clear statement of an issue, and prior to evaluating conclusions or solutions, it is important to recognize what is required to settle it. And before we can agree or disagree with a claim, we must understand it clearly.

S-14 Clarifying and Analyzing the Meanings of Words or Phrases

Principle: Critical, independent thinking requires clarity of thought. A clear thinker understands concepts and knows what kind of evidence is required to justify applying a word or phrase to a situation. The ability to supply a definition is not proof of understanding. One must be able to supply clear, obvious examples and use the concept appropriately. In contrast, for an unclear thinker, words float through the mind unattached to clear, specific, concrete cases. Distinct concepts are confused.

S-15 Developing Criteria for Evaluation: Clarifying Values and Standards

Principle: Critical thinkers realize that expressing mere preference does not substitute for evaluating something. Awareness of the process or components of evaluating facilitates thoughtful and fairminded evaluation. This process requires developing and using criteria or standards of evaluation, or making standards or criteria explicit.

S-16 Evaluating the Credibility of Sources of Information

Principle: Critical thinkers recognize the importance of using reliable sources of information. They give less weight to sources which either lack a track record of honesty, are not in a position to know, or have a vested interest in the issue. Critical thinkers recognize when there is more than one reasonable position to be taken on an issue; they compare alternative sources of information, noting areas of agreement; they analyze questions to determine whether or not the source is in a position to know; and they gather more information when sources disagree.

S-17 Questioning Deeply: Raising and Pursuing Root or Significant Questions

Principle: Critical thinkers can pursue an issue in depth, covering various aspects in an extended process of thought or discussion. When reading a passage, they look for issues and concepts underlying the claims expressed. They come to their own understanding of the details they learn, placing them in the larger framework of the subject and their overall perspectives. They contemplate the significant issues and questions underlying subjects or problems studied. They can move between basic underlying ideas and specific details.

S-18 Analyzing or Evaluating Arguments, Interpretations, Beliefs, or Theories

Principle: Rather than carelessly agreeing or disagreeing with a conclusion based on their preconceptions of what is true, critical thinkers use analytic tools to understand the reasoning behind it and determine its relative strengths and weaknesses. When analyzing arguments,critical thinkers recognize the importance of asking for reasons and considering other views.

S-19 Generating or Assessing Solutions

Principle: Critical problem-solvers use everything available to them to find the best solution they can. They evaluate solutions, not independently of, but in relation to one another (since 'best' implies a comparison).

S-20 Analyzing or Evaluating Actions and Policies

Principle: To develop one's perspective, one must analyze actions and policies and evaluate them. Good judgment is best developed through practice: judging behavior, explaining and justifying those judgments, hearing alternative judgments and their justifications, and assessing judgments. When evaluating the behavior of themselves and others, critical thinkers are aware of the standards they use, so that these, too, can become objects of evaluation.

S-21 Reading Critically: Clarifying or Critiquing Texts

Principle: Critical thinkers read with a healthy skepticism. But they do not doubt or deny until they understand. They clarify before they judge. Since they expect intelligibility from what they read, they check and double-check their understanding as they read. They do not mindlessly accept nonsense. Critical readers ask themselves questions as they read, wonder about the implications of, reasons for, examples of, and meaning and truth of the material.

S-22 Listening Critically: The Art of Silent Dialogue

Principle: Critical thinkers realize that listening can be done passively and uncritically or actively and critically. They know that it is easy to misunderstand what is said by another and hard to integrate another's thinking into one's own. Compare speaking and listening. When we speak, we need only keep track of our own ideas, arranging them in some order, expressing thoughts with which we are intimately familiar: our own.

S-23 Making Interdisciplinary Connections

Principle: Although in some ways it is convenient to divide knowledge up into disciplines, the divisions are not absolute. Critical thinkers do not allow the somewhat arbitrary distinctions between academic subjects to control their thinking. When considering issues which transcend subjects (and most real-life issues do), they bring relevant concepts, knowledge, and insights from many subjects to the analysis.

S-24 Practicing Socratic Discussion: Clarifying and Questioning Beliefs, Theories, or Perspectives

Principle: Critical thinkers are nothing if not questioners. The ability to question and probe deeply, to get down to root ideas, to get beneath the mere appearance of things, is at the very heart of the activity. And, as questioners, they have many different kinds of questions and moves available and can follow up their questions appropriately.

S-25 Reasoning Dialogically: Comparing Perspectives, Interpretations, or Theories

Principle: Dialogical thinking refers to thinking that involves a dialogue or extended exchange between different points of view. Whenever we consider concepts or issues deeply, we naturally explore their connections to other ideas and issues within different points of view.

S-26 Reasoning Dialectically: Evaluating Perspectives, Interpretations, or Theories

Principle: Dialectical thinking refers to dialogical thinking conducted in order to test the strengths and weaknesses of opposing points of view. Court trials and debates are dialectical in intention. They pit idea against idea, reasoning against counter-reasoning in order to get at the truth of a matter. As soon as we begin to explore ideas, we find that some clash or are inconsistent with others.

S-27 Comparing and Contrasting Ideals with Actual Practice

Principle: Self-improvement and social improvement are presupposed values of critical thinking. Critical thinking, therefore, requires an effort to see ourselves and others accurately. This requires recognizing gaps between ideals and practice. The fairminded thinker values truth and consistency and so works to minimize these gaps.

S-28 Thinking Precisely About Thinking: Using Critical Vocabulary

Principle: An essential requirement of critical thinking is the ability to think about thinking, to engage in what is sometimes called "metacognition". One possible definition of critical thinking is the art of thinking about your thinking while you're thinking in order to make your thinking better: more clear, more accurate, more fair.

S-29 Noting Significant Similarities and Differences

Principle: Critical thinkers strive to treat similar things similarly and different things differently. Uncritical thinkers, on the other hand, often don't see significant similarities and differences. Things superficially similar are often significantly different. Things superficially different are often essentially the same.

S-30 Examining or Evaluating Assumptions

Principle: We are in a better position to evaluate any reasoning or behavior when all of the elements of that reasoning or behavior are made explicit. We base both our reasoning and our behavior on beliefs we take for granted. We are often unaware of these assumptions. Only by recognizing them can we evaluate them.

S-31 Distinguishing Relevant From Irrelevant Facts

Principle: To think critically, we must be able to tell the difference between those facts which are relevant to an issue and those which are not. Critical thinkers focus their attention on relevant facts and do not let irrelevant considerations affect their conclusions. Whether or not something is relevant is often unclear; relevance must often be argued. Furthermore, a fact is only relevant or irrelevant in relation to an issue. Information relevant to one problem may not be relevant to another.

S-32 Making Plausible Inferences, Predictions, or Interpretations

Principle: Thinking critically involves the ability to reach sound conclusions based on observation and information. Critical thinkers distinguish their observations from their conclusions. They look beyond the facts, to see what those facts imply. They know what the concepts they use imply.

S-33 Giving Reasons and Evaluating Evidence and Alleged Facts

Principle: Critical thinkers can take their reasoning apart in order to examine and evaluate its components. They know on what evidence they base their conclusions. They realize that un-stated, unknown reasons can be neither communicated nor critiqued. They are comfortable being asked to give reasons; they don't find requests for reasons intimidating, confusing, or insulting.

S-34 Recognizing Contradictions

Principle: Consistency is a fundamental-some would say the defining-ideal of critical thinkers. They strive to remove contradictions from their beliefs, and are wary of contradictions in others. As would-be fairminded thinkers they strive to judge like cases in a like manner.

S-35 Exploring Implications and Consequences

Principle: Critical thinkers can take statements, recognize their implications-what follows from them-and develop a fuller, more complete understanding of their meaning. They realize that to accept a statement one must also accept its implications. They can explore both implications and consequences at length. When considering beliefs that relate to actions or policies, critical thinkers assess the consequences of acting on those beliefs.

{This list is found in the following handbooks: Critical Thinking Handbook: k-3, Critical Thinking Handbook: 4-6, Critical Thinking Handbook: 6-9, Critical Thinking Handbook: High School.}

http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issu...ee/sa3crit.htm