Critical Thinking
The Chicago Crusader, November 12, 2018
"Getting people to the polls is one of the most important objectives during elections, and people must be lured to carry out their civic duty. Many people, especially African Americans, have lost their lives and livelihoods in a quest to vote. Yet, in modern times, it is very difficult to convince people that their vote counts. Imagine millions of people saying “My vote doesn’t count” and you begin to see the problem. It is one of convincing people to see a different manner of being; it is a matter of helping them to change their minds, to think critically.
The mental barriers are key in determining the direction that the country takes during the voting process. And mentality is first and foremost influenced by an appeal to emotions, as said previously. It works both ways. For example, Donald Trump supporters have been known to say that they may not believe everything he says, but that they “trust” him. This is illogical. Trump has tugged at the heartstrings of these people; he speaks their lingo. African Americans, [and many American workers] on the other hand, who say their vote doesn’t count are responding to another kind of emotional input – years of oppression and exclusion. A terrifying past has caused many to go into their psychological shells to protect themselves proactively from rejection and failure. Their notion that their vote doesn’t count becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, because many of them stay away from the polls. There is one major question that needs to be answered by this group: if your vote doesn’t count, why is there such a concerted effort to take it away from you? [Emphasis added.]
Today, more than ever before, it will be important for African Americans to vote for the people whose ideas promise for them a better future, and then they must hold them accountable! The United States is not heading in a positive direction regarding Black people, so it will take crucial measures in order for meaningful change to occur. This will include, among other things, enhanced critical thinking skills in order to recognize lies that keep them from acting in their own best interests. [Emphasis added] A Luta Continua."
Links and Suggested Readings
Critical Thinking Charts, Cards, and Posters - Free PDFs to Download
Critical Thinking
"Critical thinking is a widely accepted educational goal. Its definition is contested, but the competing definitions can be understood as differing conceptions of the same basic concept: careful thinking directed to a goal. Conceptions differ with respect to the scope of such thinking, the type of goal, the criteria and norms for thinking carefully, and the thinking components on which they focus. Its adoption as an educational goal has been recommended on the basis of respect for students’ autonomy and preparing students for success in life and for democratic citizenship."
"Critical Thinking Skills
Someone with critical thinking skills can:
Understand the links between ideas.
Determine the importance and relevance of arguments and ideas.
Recognize, build and appraise arguments.
Identify inconsistencies and errors in reasoning.
Approach problems in a consistent and systematic way.
Reflect on the justification of their own assumptions, beliefs and values."
Critical Thinking Tutorial
"Critical thinking is a complex skill that requires practice. Don’t expect to read everything and suddenly become a critical thinker - it will take time. Just like a musician you will need to practice to improve your skill level. Your academic studies will provide you with the opportunity to practice these skills and this tutorial will assist you to understand the process. Explore the topics at your own pace, in the context of your unit requirements and the stage of your learning.""
"Critical Thinking is the process of using reasoning to discern what is true, and what is false, in the phrases and "sound bytes" we hear everyday. Part of it involves being familiar with logic and logical fallacies - those bits of false reasoning that are used to manipulate and mislead us."
Why is Critical Thinking Important?
"Being able to form independent judgments is also necessary to enable citizens to function in a democracy, and, indeed, for the perpetuation of democracy itself. "
Our Concept and Definition of Critical Thinking
"Our basic concept of critical thinking is, at root, simple. We could define it as the art of taking charge of your own mind. Its value is also at root simple: if we can take charge of our own minds, we can take charge of our lives; we can improve them, bringing them under our self-command and direction. Of course, this requires that we learn self-discipline and the art of self-examination. This involves becoming interested in how our minds work, how we can monitor, fine tune, and modify their operations for the better. It involves getting into the habit of reflectively examining our impulsive and accustomed ways of thinking and acting in every dimension of our lives."
13 Examples of Critical Thinking
To think critically is to examine ideas, evaluate them against what you already know and make decisions about their merit. The aim of critical thinking is to try to maintain an ‘objective’ position. When you think critically, you weigh up all sides of an argument and evaluate its strengths and weaknesses. So, critical thinking skills entail:
actively seeking all sides of an argument
testing the soundness of the claims made
testing the soundness of the evidence used to support the claims.