Critical Thinking In a Nutshell
How To Become An Independent Thinker And Make Intelligent Decisions
Thinknetic
A glimpse into what youll discover inside:
- If your thinking is flawed and what it takes to fix it (the solutions are included)
- Simple and effective strategies to make sound and regret-free decisions
- Tried and true hacks to elevate your rationality and change your live for the better
- Enlightening principles to guide your thoughts and actions (gathered from the wisest man of all time)
(Or go to thinknetic.net or simply scan the code with your camera)
Contents
Introduction
You have a task to resolve at work. You know that to resolve the problem, so much would need to change. You toy with the possibility of coming up with a far-reaching plan to solve the real fundamental issue at stake.
But you know it is impractical. You do not have the time or energy to challenge the status quo. You know you will face opposition from other people. Therefore, you end up making a solid plan. But one which will not make too many waves or provide the necessary change. However, you cant shake a feeling of dissatisfaction as you make this uninspiring plan.
Do you ever have a nagging feeling that you could be doing things better? That your brain is capable of so much more than small mind-numbing tasks? Do you have great ideas but do not always have the time or energy to follow through?
You want to do your best at your job and life, but there are too many competing pressures on your time. It is hard to know where to start, and sometimes it seems much easier just to do the minimum.
You may have heard that critical thinking is an essential skill in todays workplace. Most employers say that they look for candidates with these skills and are hard-pressed to find them. Every school curriculum focuses on how to cultivate these skills.
Critical thinking has become a corporate buzzword, like synergy or core competency. However, unlike those empty words, critical thought represents a proven tradition of deep understanding and problem solving, which has advanced our society immeasurably. Science, technology, and philosophy would all be impossible without it.
You may also think that critical thinking is time-consuming. Who has time to sit and ponder every single decision? You are 100% correct.
It is impractical and utterly a waste of time to use the full force of critical thought for every minor decision you make. However, when you are making an important decision, employing critical thinking will not only make it far more likely that you make a correct decision, it will also save you time.
The skills honed in critical thought will give you the foresight to predict and prepare in advance for time-wasting problems. Nothing saves more time than getting things right the first time.
I plan to inspire you on this journey. I have been an educator for well over a decade and spent many more years in private and government positions. I also have a Ph.D. in political science. But more importantly, I have a firm personal commitment to clear and purposeful thought exemplified by many years of training students and employees. I hope my passion for the topic comes through in this book.
Are you prepared to understand the world better? Are you ready to create new and better solutions to the problems in your life? Join me in discovering how to master critical thinking skills to jump-start positive changes in your life. Together we can unleash the power of critical thinking by reading this book.
What Is Critical Thinking?
The Death Of Socrates
T he leaders of Athens sentenced the greatest mind of his generation to death. Socrates was to ingest hemlock. A horrific way to die. The philosophers entire body would become paralyzed before his bladder would be overwhelmed by toxicity. Socrates would experience frothing at the mouth and respiratory distress. Finally, a massive seizure would lead to death.
Many accused Socrates of "not believing the Gods of the city, introducing new gods, and corrupting the youth" [1] . In his informal role as educator, Socrates had taught many of the youngest and brightest to question all assumptions. He taught them ideas were not necessarily correct, just because their parents or leaders said it was so. Socrates told his students to examine every idea on its merits alone .
Though accused of undermining authority, Socrates never supported rebellion for its own sake. Instead, he insisted that the ideas dispensed by people in positions of authority were not above question. Rather than defend a certain power structure, Socrates taught his students to seek out the truth. Though Socrates died, his students Plato and Aristotle carried this tradition forward. The man was dead, but his legacy remains immortal [2] .
The method of inquiry he pioneered is still known as the Socratic Method, and it focuses on the development of ideas through constant dialogue. Each argument is teased out and broken down into its underlying assumptions. Each assumption is exposed to ruthless scrutiny no matter who made them and why [3] .
The trial of Socrates emphasizes the power of questioning established sources of authority and information. On the one hand, the powers that decided to end the philosopher's life. On the other, the thought of Socrates inspired a long-standing tradition [4] .
Critical thinking is an essential component of human progress. Without questioning authority and common wisdom, the science and progress we have today would be impossible. The study of evolution would be impossible if scientists were unwilling to challenge the Bibles literal interpretation. What if we still believed the world was flat? Or that Kings enjoy a divine right to rule?
Critical thinking skills are among the most sought after in the modern economy. In a major survey of American business leaders, 93% of respondents agreed with the statement that a demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems is more important than [a candidates] undergraduate major [5] . By becoming more critical thinkers, we become more well-rounded people. It doesnt hurt that we become more employable on the way, too [6] !
How To Define Critical Thinking
When people use the term critical thinking, it can mean different things. However, certain elements are essential for a fuller understanding of the concept.
The Delphi Project provided one of the best-known definitions of the term:
Purposeful, self-regulatory judgment which results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and inference, as well as an explanation of the evidential, conceptual, methodological, criteriological, or contextual considerations upon which that judgment is based" [7] .
A good translation of this definition into layman's terms would be the ability to think about connected ideas thoroughly and independently, basing those ideas on factual evidence. It is the act of turning the full force of our reasoning towards resolving real-world problems.
How is this done? Critical thinkers gather and categorize evidence data relevant to their problem to gain relevant knowledge. As different elements of the problem and its potential solution are understood, critical thinkers connect an issues disparate parts into one workable framework.