What Is Critical Thinking?

What is Critical Thinking?

CRT/205 Version 6

Thu 04/19/2012 11:59 PM MST

What is Critical Thinking?

Evaluating the reasoning used in coming to a conclusion, the thought process that enables us to come to a conclusion with a clear understanding of the evidence for and against an outcome that is needed for the conclusion of the argument. You must be impartial in coming to the conclusion, because you must not be influenced by opinion, be able to see the flaws, recognize the contradictory information, be able to recognize fact from opinion, find the holes in the arguments of others,. These are some of the things needed to critically think, not all of them but just a few.

Critically thinking is a process that enables the thinker to come to a conclusion that has all the arguments settled with the information that is available to come to a conclusion with confidence. It is a way of thinking that makes you think beyond the answer to the argument, with a sense of knowing that you looked at all the ramifications of the processes with the objectivity of a person that is knowledgeable in the conclusion of the argument. By thinking this way you are able to make decisions based on the processes that have been used in the initial thinking but by looking at how you came to that decision is what is thought to be the process of critical thinking.

As per Petress, K. (2004): Critical thinking is the use of those cognitive skills or strategies that increase the probability of a positive outcome. It is used to describe thinking that is purposeful, reasoned, ands goal directed - the kind of thinking involved in problem solving, formulating inferences, calculating likelihoods, and making decisions when the thinker is using skills that are thoughtful and effective for the particular context and type of thinking task. Critical thinking also involves evaluating the thinking process - the reasoning that went into the conclusion we've arrived at the kinds of factors...