What is Critical Thinking?

What is Critical Thinking?

What do we mean by “critical thinking”?

By “critical thinking” we mean a three-phased process:

1. Identification of a purpose of inquiry: Critical thinking begins with an object (or objects) of thought -- what one is thinking about.

   • For example, one may recognize or articulate a problem or question -- this is what one will think about.

2. Engagement in a purpose-directed process of thinking: Next, thinking is directed toward the purpose of the inquiry and we 'think critically' to attempt to resolve it.

   • For example, we attempt to understand a concept or claim; or to investigate solutions to complex problems such as climate change, healthcare, or pandemics.

3. Synthesizing and communicating the results: Finally, we synthesize and communicate the output of our critical thinking.

What do we mean by thinking “done critically”?

Broadly speaking, we mean that the thinker shows a commitment to:

1. Investigating what one does not know about the issue at hand

2. Open-mindedness

3. Deconstructing thoughts to examine:

   • Assumptions & inferences

   • Relationships between propositions

   • Relevancy

   • Accuracy

   • Consequences

4. Acknowledging limitations:

   • Recognizing that the typical disposition of human thinking is not critical but general and presumptuous and prone to confirmation bias.

   • Recognizing that the process is limited by assumptions and available information.

   • Working to mitigate the impact of these limitations.

5. Incorporating valid logical reasoning, potentially supplemented with additional discipline-based methods of investigation and evaluation.

In more detail, we identify the following essential elements of critical thinking, i.e., the thinking is:

• Investigative:

  • Begins with curiosity

  • May be founded on doubt

  • Accepts and works through ambiguity

• Inquiry-focused:

  • Collects relevant and appropriate data and information

  • Assesses the merit of information

  • Assembles logical arguments to support claims or conclusions

  • Fairly evaluates conclusions

• Self-regulating:

  • Refines thinking processes and products to ensure clarity and fairness

  • Interrogates cognitive biases

  • Assesses for confirmation bias

  • Re-evaluates one’s perception of false, unsound, or misleading beliefs

• Contextualized:

  • Investigates the meanings, sources, purposes, connections, contexts, and consequences of any proposition

    • Considers multiple perspectives and/or approaches

    • Engages in historical thinking

  • Examines the individual relationships within and around the problem(s) and/or argument(s) considered

  • Considers societal and global implications of conclusions

• Disciplined:

  • We are not naturally predisposed to thinking critically (Paul Elder says that 'humans are self-deceiving animals') and we need to discipline our mind to think in a more systematic way so we can reduce unsound thinking.

What role does evidence play in critical thinking?

In the critical thinking process, evidence serves two concurrent functions: first, evidence supports claims, which themselves follow from the evidence. Second, the examination of evidence provides the foundation for further evaluation of the claims and conclusions by others. The disciplinary context should be taken into consideration when assessing what is acceptable evidence. Importantly, the notion of evidence in and of itself must be interrogated to ensure the inclusion of other voices.

What are the products of critical thinking?

Critical thinking (CT) produces a conclusion or reasoned sound judgement that: can be purposefully explained and supported by factual evidence, by logic, by a relevant body of knowledge; openly recognizes its limitations; and includes a clear explanation of the inputs and processes used to arrive at the product(s). (CT practitioners “show their work.”) CT practitioners recognize and communicate that critical thinking is an iterative process. Therefore, all products of critical thinking are necessarily tentative, as further critical thinking may lead to different conclusions, due to the consideration of new evidence, different perspectives, different analyses, and implications/consequences. Additionally, enhancing one’s CT skills, may lead to improving one’s digital and information literacy by empowering the person to ask questions, investigate assumptions, and vet evidence.

How does critical thinking relate to equity and justice?

We intentionally and explicitly make the connection between thinking critically and thinking justly where engaging in CT will necessarily lead one to want to treat others, and the world around them, with fairness, dignity, and justice.