CriticalThinking The careful and reflective process of evaluat...

2007-01-11T03:23:43.625Z

The careful and reflective process of evaluating claims and argument – attempting to form or evaluate judgements through the use of relevant and reliable considerations, and not be deflected by extraneous or untrustworthy considerations.

Thinking critically is an active and systematic cognitive strategy to examine, evaluate, and understand events, solve problems, and make decisions on the basis of effective reasoning and well-scrutinized evidence, involving such things as:

Ümaintaining an attitude which is both openminded and sceptical;

Üidentifying and questioning underlying assumptions and preconceptions ;

Üeschewing oversimplifications, overgeneralizations, and overinterpretations;

Üdeveloping a tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity;

Üexploring alternative perspectives and explanations;

Examples of critical questions:

rWhat, precisely, is being claimed?

rHas evidence been adduced in support of what is being claimed?

rIs there sufficient support warranting acceptance of the particular claim?

rIf there is not sufficient support, what then? (reject the claim? accept it on a tentative basis? suspend judgement pending fresh, further, better evidence? etc.)

Self-reflection is a willingness to consider the ways in which our expectations, beliefs, preconceptions, and biases can influence our evaluation of the thinking and reasoning of others, and equally these effects on our own thinking.

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critical thinking

CriticalThinking The careful and reflective process of evaluat...