Critical thinking
- Thread starter Pete
- Start date
Not really. Logic has no moral value, only utilitarian principles.
Yeah, like, are you willing to pay 20 bucks for a cup of coffee if it means that the farmers who grow it will get a fair return? Or would you rather continue to screw them so you can get it for a dollar?
Or, should the nations who lead the Security Council also be the lead arms dealers in the world, with between them 90% of the world nuclear weapons? etc.
Critical thinking may make for a smarter being, not necessarily a better one. You can still ignore what you consider irrlevant to your argument, still make assumptions about facts not in evidence, still make wrong inferences, still be far from the truth, still be a close minded SOB
If you're doing those those things, you're not practicing critical thinking.
They are judgement values with no inherent moral right or wrong except of course, for hypocrisy.
Don't confuse the skills with the traits. Just because you can solve a problem, does not mean you are doing the right thing.
Don't confuse the skills with the traits. Just because you can solve a problem, does not mean you are doing the right thing.
In analysis of these judgement calls one can come to an illogical a-moral conclusion or a morally sound conclusion. I'm not sure what your understanding of critical analysis, or thinking, is but it certainly doesn't involve making ill-thought out decisions.
The first criteria of critical thinking is evaluating the facts in hand. You cannot suspend judgement or introduce variables not immediately present. This to me is its greatest drawback. Its a close minded system. Hence I consider it to be of of important but limited value in problem solving. It eliminates important elements such as thinking freely (known as thinking out of the box or lateral thinking) and brainstorming, both of which are classic creative thinking elements.
If that were the case science would never have developed. Physics, chemistry and biology require abstract thought, to varying degrees. No process follows a linear path, coming to any conclusion requires a "what happens if I..." supposition. I'm not denying creative thinking isn't a factor in coming to conclusions, however I don't see logic and creation as mutually exclusive.
Someone unable to suspend judgment in light of a shortage of facts in hand is hardly a good critical thinker.SAM said:
But I would not teach "critical thinking" as a subject for the same reason I wouldn't teach calesthenics in gym. The same mistake they make teaching "reading" without giving the kids something worthwhile to read and a reason to read it.
Why not?
We seem to have very different ideas of what "critical thinking" means. I don't understand why you think that critical thinking precludes creative thinking.
Surely one person can do both? Even at the same time?
Consider this extract from Understanding the Common Essential Learnings (Saskatchewan Learning) (one of the first hits on a search on "Critical-thinking creative-thinking")
The goal of incorporating critical and creative thinking processes into Saskatchewan's K-12 curricula is to develop individuals who value knowledge, learning and the creative process, who can and will think for themselves, yet recognize the limits of individual reflection and the need to contribute to and build upon mutual understandings of social situations. What is desired are students who have purposes for learning, know how and when to question, who recognize when more information is needed and the type of knowledge which is required, know how to find and organize information, and who can generate and evaluate a number of alternatives to human problems.
Critical thinking would certainly be a more valuable lesson to children than being programmed to believe in the local magic god/gods.
Critical thinking has nothing to do with morals. Although someone with good morals who thinks critically is capable of accomplishing greater good than someone with good morals who does not think critically. hrm.
Critical thinking has nothing to do with morals. Although someone with good morals who thinks critically is capable of accomplishing greater good than someone with good morals who does not think critically. hrm.
I hear your points about morals and critical thinking having nothing to do with each other. In much the same way as tap water and a cup of tea.
Give me an example of a well thought-out, critical conclusion which might have an immoral, or amoral outcome.
Give me an example of a well thought-out, critical conclusion which might have an immoral, or amoral outcome.