TWO TYPES OF THINKING
(1) Critical Thinking – “the ability to think clearly and rationally.”
(2) Creative Thinking – “a matter of coming up with new and useful possibilities”
They are both crucial for solving problems and discovering new knowledge.
Source: http://philosophy.hku.hk/think/critical/
BETTER UNDERSTANDING - CRITICAL THINKING
In order to be a critical thinker you need to be able to:
•
understand the logical connections between ideas
•
identify, construct and evaluate arguments
•
detect inconsistencies and common mistakes in reasoning
•
solve problems systematically
•
identify the relevance and importance of ideas
•
reflect on the justification of one's own beliefs and values
Source: http://philosophy.hku.hk/think/critical/ct.php
NECESSITY OF CRITICAL THINKING
 Critical thinking is a domain-general thinking skill. The ability to think clearly and
rationally is important whatever we choose to do. If you work in education,
research, finance, management or the legal profession, then critical thinking is
obviously important. But critical thinking skills are not restricted to a particular
subject area. Being able to think well and solve problems systematically is an
asset for any career.
 Critical thinking is very important in the new knowledge economy. The global
knowledge economy is driven by information and technology. One has to be able
to deal with changes quickly and effectively. The new economy places increasing
demands on flexible intellectual skills, and the ability to analyse information and
integrate diverse sources of knowledge in solving problems. Good critical thinking
promotes such thinking skills, and is very important in the fast-changing
workplace.
Source: http://philosophy.hku.hk/think/critical/ct.php
NECESSITY OF CRITICAL THINKING CONT.
 Critical thinking enhances language and presentation skills. Thinking clearly and
systematically can improve the way we express our ideas. In learning how to
analyse the logical structure of texts, critical thinking also improves
comprehension abilities.
 Critical thinking promotes creativity. To come up with a creative solution to a
problem involves not just having new ideas. It must also be the case that the new
ideas being generated are useful and relevant to the task at hand. Critical
thinking plays a crucial role in evaluating new ideas, selecting the best ones and
modifying them if necessary.
 Critical thinking is crucial for self-reflection. In order to live a meaningful life and
to structure our lives accordingly, we need to justify and reflect on our values and
decisions. Critical thinking provides the tools for this process of self-evaluation.
Source: http://philosophy.hku.hk/think/critical/ct.php
PHILOSOPHY BASED OF CRITICAL THINKING
 Very briefly, philosophy might be regarded as a conceptual enquiry
dealing with fundamental issues relating to life, knowledge and values.
By conceptual enquiry we mean an enquiry that relies primarily on
critical reasoning. This includes :
o Analysing the meaning of concepts
o Identifying logical connections between theories
o Evaluating arguments and exposing fallacies
Source: http://www3.hku.hk/philodep/wiki/pmwiki.php?n=Main.Whatisphil
PHILOSOPHY CONT.
 As you can see, the whole movement of philosophy in the past was
entirely based of critical thinking. Philosophers such as William James or
Ludwig Wittgenstein would never have prospered in the past if it wasn’t
for their intellectual thinking. All their theories and ideas were based of
concepts of critical thinking. Philosophy also plays an immense role in
the creation of science! To think that our whole society is based of off
ideas of critical thinkers…where would we be without critical thinking?
How would our minds think if we didn’t develop such concepts or
annalistic ideas?
BACKGROUND OF CRITICAL THINKING
 Critical thinking does not mean being argumentative or being critical of
others. Although critical thinking skills can be used in exposing fallacies
and bad reasoning, they can also be used to support other viewpoints, and
to cooperate with others in solving problems and acquiring knowledge.
 Critical thinking is a general thinking skill that is useful for all sorts of
careers and professions. Clear and systematic thinking can improve the
comprehension and expression of ideas, so good critical thinking can also
enhance language and presentation skills.
Source: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B-
RFWAiAO7x3MWYzZDIxNDUtOGZhYS00N2YyLThiM2ItY2EwMGQ1YTc2MzMx&hl=en&pli=1
THE ELEMENTS OF THOUGHT
Source: http://vault.hanover.edu/~ahrens/CT.pdf.pdf
CONCLUSION
 As human beings, we need critical thinking in order to grow and prosper, without it
we are nothing but animals at war. Critical thinking carved our present into what
it is today, without philosophy, science, and all education as we know it, we would
still be cavemen. We need critical thinking to keep on advancing in society, our
species has not stopped growing and we are just getting started. Technology is
recently been discovered in the late 1800s during the Industrial Revolution, who
knows what the future has in store. The teenagers and kids of today’s society are
some of the best critical thinkers in the world because they have a vast amount of
knowledge and will change the future as we know it.
 Critical Thinking Questions to think about life:
Does a fish know he’s wet?
What would life be like if the concept of critical thinking never took place?
How would life be without philosophy and science?
What is the meaning to life, if words can mean whatever you want?