The Importance Of Reasoning In Critical Thinking

Think deeply! Think and keep thinking. Still, not everyone who thinks or thinks deeply is actually critical thinking. You can be highly intelligent or have vast knowledge but that doesn’t mean that you can think critically. Using intelligence and knowledge to reach one’s rationale viewpoint and objective in what a critical thinker does. The opinions and beliefs of a critical thinker stand on firmer ground. Better decisions and problems solving are more credible and supported by reasons and facts instead of false information and statements.

According to Paul & Elder, “critical thinking is the art of analyzing and evaluating thinking with a vision of improving it.” Their argument for the need to utilize critical thinking is the fact that without focus, most of the thinking done by people is partial, many times uninformed, biased, distorted, and prejudiced. What is not easily recognized is the fact that the very fabric of life is

To survive in such a multifaceted and diverse world we as people must possess the ability to think critically in highly complex situations. The world is an extremely challenging place, all of us are forced to adapt by constantly challenging existing principles and performing certain methods to ensure our growth both physically and mentally. Many claim that contemporary society needs a skill called critical thinking to adapt and survive. Critical thinking is a higher level of intellectual progression that makes use of diverse information, skills and attitudes in interpreting situations and confronting problems. Critical thinking is done

Thinking is our nature; however, it often can be biased, inaccurate, fractional, unfamiliar or prejudiced. Critical thinking is the skill of questioning and evaluating thinking with an intention of improving it. Critical thinking scholars, Linda Elder and Richard Paul, discuss eight specific foundations of thought which are considered to be the tools we need in order to analyze our own thinking. The intellectual foundations include humility, courage, empathy, autonomy, integrity, perseverance, fair-mindedness, and confidence in reason. There are three traits that I need to strengthen in my own life, which are intellectual courage, intellectual perseverance, and intellectual fair-mindedness, plus I plan to implement actions to maximize these traits.

Critical thinking is one of the most important traits that a person can have in their day to day lives. It involves the person to have the ability to ascertain claims and make judgments based on well-support evidence or logic rather than anecdote or emotion. There are 8 protocols that critical thinkers’ exhibit in their day to day lives in order to become better at their craft.

Over the course of the last six weeks, I have come to realize that critical thinking is an important asset as I continue my journey in life. I have found this course to be both challenging and rewarding. Most importantly, I find myself viewing problems and conversations in a completely different light. While I would not consider myself an expert at critical thinking, I would assess myself in as a Beginner Thinker. Paul and Elder point out in the beginning thinker stage an individual actively begins to take command of their thinking process across multiple facets of their life (Paul and Elder, 2012). Furthermore, we recognize that there are problems in the way we think and begin to consciously attempt to better understand we can improve our thinking.

If I am to develop my personal critical thinking ability, I must first make a conscious choice to understand the basic concept of a premise and then make critical reflection of this basic concept by expanding my thinking approach. To achieve this, I must ask radical questions that will enhance the scope of analysis and judgment. I must move from the region of subconscious thinking to one of conscious thinking because in so doing, I become aware that I am actually thinking. This awareness will allow me to think beyond rudimentary concepts through critical reasoning and critical reflection to decipher underlying issues that are concealed in the concept under investigation. By understanding the predictable

In 1990, the American Philosophical Association defined critical thinking as “purposeful, self-regulatory process that results in reasoned judgment”. Critical thinking can be defined in a number of similar phrases that all seem to focus on the importance of conscious analysis. Our text starts off with the working phases of critical thinking as analyzing thinking, evaluating thinking, and improving thinking. The process of critical thought is cyclical and not linear. Being a “fair-minded critical thinker” is not a permanent attribute, and it must be consistently worked at as applying intellectual standards and elements of reasoning instead of emotion can be difficult. Overall, to be a strong critical thinker you must work toward strong intellectual traits such humility, courage, and integrity to better represent issues and or arguments.

In the article “Critical Thinking: What Is It and Why It Counts” written by Peter A. Facione goes in depth on the topic of critical thinking, and reasons why it can be a beneficial in our everyday lives. Although one may think, “What does critical thinking have to do with my life?” the answer is simple. Critical thinking is thinking that has a purpose, liking proving a point, or an interpretation of an idea or thought, and solving problems. Now, all successful critical thinkers have these six abilities at the core for thinking skills: interpretation, analysis, evaluation, inference, explanation, and self-regulation. The first three skills usually try to identify, and comprehend the issue or idea at hand. The next three make a conclusion,

The main concepts presented in the article are the varying definitions of each author on the concept of critical thinking. The information the author uses are definitions which are the opinions of varied authors and are similar in foundation in that to apply critical thinking one must be able to identify a problem, pose a question(s), provide valid supporting evidence, and come to a conclusion. Although the author’s definitions do not identify a problem, questions, evidence, or conclusions, the relationship Petress (2004) shows is that the reader must apply this process themselves as it is not always given. The information used does appear to be relevant, significant, and valid. The references the author listed does provide enough information for me to come to this conclusion. Since this work is a literature review and not a case study, numerical data are not necessary to determine validity of the information.

Critical thinking is a vital task that must be done in our everyday lives. In “Becoming a Critic Of Your Thinking” found at criticalthinking.org, Dr. Linda Elder and Dr. Richard Paul explain critical thinking as “the disciplined art of ensuring that you use the best thinking you are capable of in any set of circumstances”. Even tough there are many different types of methods to achieve a better quality of critical thinking, Dr. Elder and Dr. Paul discuss four specific ones in the article. All strategies, however, force you to put yourself in an uncomfortable and difficult position to develop a better quality of thinking.

Bassham, G., Irwin, W., Nardone, H., & Wallace, J. (2002). Critical Thinking. [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-text]. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies Publishing. Retrieved August 25, 2004 from University of Phoenix, Resource, MGT/350–Critical Thinking: Strategies in Decision Making Web site: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.asp

A logical approach necessary to achieve successful critical thinking involves utilizing the eight elements of reasoning. These elements include the purpose, question at issue, information, conclusions, concepts, assumptions, implications and consequences, point of view, context, and alternatives that are possible when analyzing an issue. In the text ‘Learning to Think Things Through, Nosich discusses each of these elements in detail. He states “Each of the elements is essential, and each can furnish you with insight into the heart of the subject you are reasoning about” (Nosich 50). When I was younger, I took the wrong course of action; I failed to think critically because of my misuse and disregard of these elements. In hindsight, if I had utilized these elements correctly and thoroughly, the outcome could have had been more advantageous for everyone.

The concepts of critical thinking and creative thinking are both gaining increasing importance in the world today. Critical thinking allows people to understand difficult concepts in a manner that is clearer and more defined. They can more readily understand those concepts if they employ critical thinking. In all portions of everyday life, a person is expected to make independent judgments. Those judgments are based on experience and knowledge. Without the ability to think critically, every situation that a person comes across would have to be considered in isolation from all other situations. When a person encounters a problem that is a new one, he or she may be able to use critical thinking to solve those problems.

Thinking is a wonderful process used every moment by people to make sense of their life and their world. Effective thinking empowers people to make successful decisions, to reach goals that give their life meaning and fulfillment, and to resolve the problems they are constantly challenged with. Critical thinking is a fundamental activity for living with purpose. To use to think is an effective process, and by becoming mindful of it, not just reading about it, people’s thinking abilities become more powerful. 2500 years ago, the Greek philosopher Socrate cautioned, ”You, my friend,…,are you not ashamed of heaping up the greatest amount of money and honor and reputation, and caring so little about wisdom and truth and the greatest improvement of the soul, which you never regard or heed at all?” The act of thinking critically encompasses thinking for themselves by wisely examining the approach that they make sense of the world. Engaging this aspect of living is one of the most fulfilling way of being a mature human being. People are capable of thinking critically as the natural human ability is to reflect, to be