books on critical thinking

books on critical thinking

The Importance of Critical Thinking

1. Introduction to Critical Thinking

The ability to make an inference (a conclusion about an argument based on given information) is very important in rationally thinking through an issue. Making sure to distinguish the difference between an explanation and an inference is important here. And finally, a person skilled in critical thinking is able to assess the credibility of sources by determining whether the information is relevant, reliable, and unbiased for their argument.

The first portion of the importance of critical thinking is the ability to think rationally. Critical thinking means the ability to construct and evaluate arguments. An argument is a specific stand on an issue plus the reasons to back it up. Critical thinking includes the ability to break an argument down into its premises and conclusion. A premise is a statement in an argument that provides reason or support for the conclusion. A good argument is an argument that has a logically valid structure, meaning that if the premises are true then the conclusion must be true. An argument is considered strong if it has a good connection between its premises and conclusion, even if the argument is weak or the premises being false. The strength of an argument is not determined by the truth of its premises or conclusion.

The importance of critical thinking applied to a specific problem can be broken down into four portions. The first is the ability to think rationally. The second is the ability to think in a well-structured manner. The third is the ability to understand the logical connections between issues. The fourth is the ability to be reflective and have insightful judgement.

2. Developing Critical Thinking Skills

Exercises to improve your critical thinking skills are very abundant and include brainstorming, storyboarding, role-playing, discussions and debates, puzzles, mysteries, essay writing, and research. Basically, critical thinking does not occur without an application and exposure to the methods and tools used to refine and transform thought. For example, if you wanted to create an 8-bit game, storyboarding is an effective way to make the game design clearly defined and to check for any errors before a large amount of unwanted time and effort is put into the programming, graphics, etc. This translates well to the concept that making an outline before writing an essay is like creating a game design before any of the development begins.

The skills that we need in order to be able to think critically are varied and include observation, analysis, interpretation, reflection, evaluation, inference, explanation, problem solving, and decision making. Specifically, we need to be able to think about a concept or idea in various ways and from a number of different points of view. We also need to be able to make inferences, assumptions, and hypotheses, and be able to compare and contrast them. It is important to be open-minded, prepared to consider alternative perspectives on an issue, and tolerant of others with different views. Additionally, we need to have the capacity to make informed decisions and to be able to prove that what we have inferred or decided is based on a firm foundation of information and valid reasoning.

3. Applying Critical Thinking in Everyday Life

For your children, critical thinking can bring personal and financial success. In a world of accelerating change, intensifying complexity, and increasing interdependence, they’ll have to have their wits. Misinformation, misperceptions, and “spin” are an everyday part of our information culture. If young people are to grasp the world and act upon it effectively, they must be able to think critically. Usually, and regrettably, the “critical” has been seen as negative: “to criticize” often means to find fault. In its neutral sense, though, critical thinking just means discriminating between different possibilities and making informed decisions. With big problems to be solved and limited time and resources, this is what we want young people to be doing. Every subject in school and at college – math, history, science, foreign languages, and the rest – offers occasions for an active, critical thought. Original problems are the grist for the mental mill. Even the rote exercises in spelling, for example, can be an occasion for thinking at a higher level than just memorization, if we ask our children to compare the list of words with words they have written, or to imagine the words in sentences. Are there words we regularly misspell, which it would be more efficient to look up in a personal spelling dictionary, than to try to learn to spell better? Too often, though, the study of the subjects is a study of content to be committed to memory. And the fast pace of classroom teaching gives no occasion to stop and think. A serious issue for educators is to find out how to engage pupils’ minds in a refreshingly thoughtful way. The general aim is to foster a comfortable, general awareness of critical thinking in everyday life. It must become a habit, a way of living, doing and viewing the world. Step by step and lesson by lesson, we need to build the public’s capacities for critical thought. We must teach in such a way as to impart a sense of the power and possibility that come from systematic thinking about the problems we face. Whether in the boardroom or the living room, the classroom or the community, the ultimate test of critical thinking is the same – preparing oneself and others to act on the basis of thoughtful, reasoned judgments.

4. Enhancing Decision Making through Critical Thinking

The decisions that you make have no true value unless you have good reasons which led you to that decision. Critical thinkers thus need to have a reason for selecting options and making decisions, and they should be prepared to accept alternative courses of action. They need to be open to new information and be ready to think on their feet. The best possible scenario is that they will have time to research and plan their decision, but not all decisions are afforded this time and need to be made quickly. This level of thinking may not always be needed, but the better decisions are always the ones that hold a higher probability of success. A person can always gauge the success of a decision on whether it was the right one or a wrong one. The assumptions that they make beforehand and the eventual implications will have both negative and positive aspects, but it is always the correct option or right choice which is most beneficial for the decision-maker.

Critical thinking can help us acquire knowledge, improve our theories, and strengthen our arguments. The basis of enhancing decision-making through critical thinking is about the decisions we make and how we decide. Decision-making is an action that requires a person to make a choice about something. Whether the person is sure of the decision or is very uncertain, there will always be a point where they will need to deal with a problem where they will have to make a choice. Critical thinking is an ongoing process and activity. It is not just something that is done in your head, but should be a guide to the choices that you make. Enhancing decision-making is a very positive step for a critical thinker.

5. The Role of Critical Thinking in Problem Solving

It is believed that a critical thinker’s skill set is greatly beneficial to problem solving and decision making in that critical thinkers avoid making decisions where the solution is not yet clear. Instead, they will apply a range of decision-making methods and change their strategies as they further reflect. This will be done in the bid to find the best solution. A critical thinker is more likely to be open-minded and is aware of their own assumptions in trying to reach a verifiable and a well-thought-out conclusion. This contrasts those who are more biased, uninformed, closed-minded, or just not very thoughtful in their approach. Such methods of reasoning and self-reflection are conducive to the solving of complex problems and often lead to a deeper understanding of the issue. This is ideal when a conclusive decision needs to be both effective and based around a strong set of criteria. Finally, critical thinkers are more likely to be thinkers and not just problem solvers. This might sound strange, but in that the critical thinker will often reflect upon the quality of a decision after it has been made, judging the outcomes and the processes that have led to them. This can be used as a loop in that any decisions that are found to be less effective can be reassessed.

When problem solving, there is an issue or a controversy over an unsettled question, to which there is a desire or claim to make a decision on. The decision made will only be as valuable as the thinking that has gone into making it. Therefore, the concepts of decision making and critical thinking are inherently connected. Any decision is the result of solving a problem. The extent to which a decision is successful is the extent to which it has been well-formulated, processed, and implemented. Such decisions are constructed around one or more defining aims or objectives. High-quality decisions are based around a set of strong criteria. For example, a student wants to achieve the aim of passing his degree. There are usually many possible decisions that could be taken, the nature of the problem is often complex, and there are inferences and assumptions to be discovered. With great importance placed on the judgment behind the decision, it is clear that strong decision making (solving an issue) is a result of sound critical thinking. This is perhaps best understood if the decision is viewed as the conclusion to a problem and the thinking that has gone into making that decision as the research and analysis of the conclusions.

We will offer a working definition of critical thinking and will contrast this with problem solving. The ability to think critically, to learn and to arrive at a well-reasoned conclusion is the core ability for making sense of the world. It is through the actions of interpreting or evaluating that critical thinkers build an understanding. During inference, the critical thinker goes beyond the information given, reflecting on the circumstances in order to reach a conclusion. The conclusion often results in a belief, and the action of believing is the internalization of a conclusion as a guide to behavior or opinions.