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Defining critical thinking – What it is and why you need it

Critical thinking can be seen as a very rich and diverse concept that has been in development for roughly the past 2,500 years. The roots of the term stem from the mid to late twentieth century, and with time, it is safe to say that there are many definitions of the term, most of them even overlapping and making it more difficult to grasp the concept via definition.

1.1 What is critical thinking?

One way critical thinking can be defined is an intellectually disciplined process which includes active and skillful conceptualization, application, analysis, synthesis and/or evaluation of gathered information generated by, or gathered from, observing, reflecting, experiencing, reasoning and communicating, seen as a guide to action and belief. Thus, the base of critical thinking revolves around intellectual values that go beyond those among the lines of subject matter divisions, such as precision, clarity, accuracy, relevance, consistency, concrete evidence, depth, breadth, solid reasoning, and fairness.

Critical thinking entails the examining of the aforementioned structures, or elements, of thought which is implicit in all reasoning: problems, purposes, or question-at-issue, concepts, assumptions, empirical grounding, implications and consequences, reasoning which leads to conclusions, frame of reference, and objections from differing viewpoints. Despite being responsive to subject matters, purposes, and issues that may vary, critical thinking is incorporated into a family of intercalated modes of thinking, such as scientific thinking, mathematical thinking, anthropological thinking, economic thinking, moral thinking, and historical and philosophical thinking.

We can safely say that critical thinking can be split up into two main components: 1) a set of information, processing skills, and belief generating skills, and 2) using the aforementioned skills, based solely on intellectual commitment and the habit of doing so. Henceforth, they are contrasted with: 1) the simple obtaining and retaining of information itself, as it revolves around a particular way in which information is treated and sought; 2) simply possessing a set of skills, as it involves their continual use, and 3) the usage of said skills with a lack of acceptance to the produced results.

It is also worth mentioning that critical thinking can change depending on the motivation behind it. When the motivation behind it lies beneath ulterior, selfish motives, it can be commonly manifested in the forms of skillful idea manipulation, resulting in benefits or services for the general interest of a single person or a group of people. Thus, critical thinking is said to be very flawed on an intellectual note, despite how realistic and successful it may be. However, when the motive behind critical thinking lies beneath intellectual integrity and fairness of mind, it can be considered an intellectuality of a higher order, even though it is often subjected to being called idealism by those who use it for selfish purposes.

It is important to know that, despite critical thinking being a universal word and having a generalized definition, it is not the same within every individual. Every human being is always subject to moments of irrational or mal-disciplined thought. Therefore, the quality of critical thinking heavily revolves around a degree, quality, and depth of experience in a certain domain of thinking, or concerning types of questions, among many other things. Thus, it is safe to say that no human being can be, or is, a critical thinker through and through, all through and through, and such-and-such insights, and is subject to certain is-and-such tendencies towards some form of self-deception. Henceforth, we can say that the development of critical thinking is a process that can take up to a lifetime.

The importance and value of critical thinking can be derived by considering these points: every human being and animal thinks, as it is but second nature to us. However, it is valuable knowledge that the thinking of every human being can be very subjective, skewed, it can encompass a small fragment, or it can revolve solely around prejudice. With this in mind, it is safe to say that the quality of life we lead and what we make and produce relies on the quality of our thoughts. Negligent and poor thinking can lead to cuts, both financially and in quality of life. On another note, excellent and careful thought leads to positive benefits, but it must be adequately and properly nurtured. This defines the problem that critical thinking most commonly solves within people: poor thought processes and decisions.

A way to circumvent the problems caused by the lack of critical thinking is by doing our best to become diligent and excellent critical thinkers. Those can pose very vital questions and properly and formulate and articulate them. Critical thinkers of adequate nature can also properly and efficiently gather even abstract ideas and information and interpret them before coming to conclusions by testing them with comparison to standards and relevant criteria. Developed critical thinkers can be open-minded within different systems of thought, possessing the capability to assess and recognize, based on their needs, their implications, practical consequences, and assumptions. Finally, a great critical thinker is experienced in effective communication with other individuals or groups, especially in attempting to obtain solutions to problems of varying complexities.

In simpler terms, critical thinking can be defined as the self-monitored, self-directed, self-disciplined, and self-corrective thinking of an individual. It often implies approval to very high standards of excellence and their mindful command and usage. It also entails effective problem solving and communication abilities and a commitment to overcoming the notions of sociocentrism and egocentrism.

1.2 The intellectual roots of critical thinking

The source of critical thinking is as old as its etymology, and it can be traced back to the teaching practice of 2500 years ago and Socrates' vision. Through questioning and inquiry, he found that people could not reasonably prove their assertion of knowledge. Confusing meanings, conflicting beliefs, or insufficient evidence are often hidden under mild but mostly empty rhetoric. Socrates established that one could not rely on those with authority to obtain sound knowledge and insight. It shows that people can have power and high positions, but they can also be confused and irrational. He established the importance of asking insightful questions that explore ideas before they can be considered credible. He established the importance of finding evidence, carefully examining reasoning and hypotheses, analyzing basic concepts, and tracking what is said and the meaning of what is done. His questioning method is now called Socratic questioning and is the most famous critical thinking teaching strategy. In his question, Socrates emphasized the need to think clearly and logically.

Socrates set the agenda for the critical thinking tradition, that is, to reflexively question common beliefs and interpretations, and carefully distinguish between those that are reasonable and logical, and those, no matter how attractive they are to our original egocentrism Power, no matter how attractive they are. Serve our self-centeredness. No matter how comfortable or comforting the vested interests are, they lack sufficient evidence or rational basis to prove our beliefs.

Socrates’ practice is followed by the critical thinking of Plato (which records Socrates’ thoughts), Aristotle, and Greek skeptics. They all emphasize that things are often very different from what they seem. In the same way, only trained minds are prepared to see through the way things see us on the surface (deceptive appearances) to the way they are hidden below the surface (the deeper reality of life). From this ancient Greek tradition, anyone who desires to understand a deeper level of reality, systematic thinking, and tracing its meaning extensively and deeply needs it because only comprehensive, well-founded, and well-founded ideas that can respond to objections can take us beyond the surface.

In the Middle Ages, systematic critical thinking was reflected in the writings and teachings of thinkers such as Thomas Aquinas (Summa Theologica). To ensure that his thinking passed the critical thinking test, he always systematically stated, thought, and responded to everyone criticizing their ideas, thinking that this is a necessary stage for their development. St. Thomas Aquinas raised our awareness of the potential power of reasoning and raised our awareness of the need to cultivate and re-examine reasoning systematically. Of course, Aquino’s thinking also shows that people who think critically do not always reject established beliefs but only those that lack reasonable grounds.

During the Renaissance (15th and 16th centuries), many European scholars began to think critically about religion, art, society, human nature, law, and freedom. They continue to assume that most areas of human life require careful analysis and criticism. Among these scholars are the British Colet, Erasmus, and Moore. They followed the perception of the ancients.

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