Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is thinking that is “disciplined by being guided by principles of good method.” It is the art of taking charge of your own mind — a self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective practice of improving the quality of your reasoning. The goal is to form beliefs that are true and well-justified, and to identify and resist claims that are not.
How It Appears Per Course
PHIL 252
The entire course is built around this concept. Unit 1 introduces it as the foundational answer to “What should I believe?” — both a set of attitudes (curiosity, humility, open-mindedness, skepticism) and a set of practical skills (argument analysis, fallacy detection, clear language). Subsequent units deliver the toolkit: argument structure, validity, definition, categorical logic, and fallacy identification.
Critical thinking is explicitly not universal or context-free — it requires selecting methods appropriate to the context, place, and time. Indigenous knowledge systems, for example, may not be open to public scrutiny in the same way Western academic traditions expect, and applying Western methods inappropriately can be harmful.
Features of an Ideal Critical Thinker
- Good mastery of the language they are arguing in
- Provides enough information for others to evaluate claims
- Resources for sorting reasonable claims from less reasonable ones
- Good at reconstructing and analyzing arguments
- Good at asking questions
- Holds an open and skeptical mind toward belief (these are complementary, not contradictory)
- Genuine curiosity and inquisitiveness
- Motivated to improve their thinking
Two Core Rules for Belief
- Believe what is true.
- Believe what you have reason to believe.
A reason, in this context, means evidence. Not wishes, not preferences, not fear.
Cross-Course Connections
Belief — critical thinking is the practice of refining how beliefs are formed
Argument — argument is the primary tool of critical thinking
Bullshit — critical thinking is the antidote to bullshit
InformalFallacies — fallacy detection is applied critical thinking
Key Points for Exam/Study
- “Critical” derives from Greek kriticos — it means discerning judgement, not negativity
- The word “disciplined” is essential — CT is not just careful thought but thought guided by principles of good method
- CT is a lifelong process of practice, not a destination
- The balance between open-mindedness and skepticism: open to new ideas but demand justification before accepting
- “Devil’s advocate” skepticism (contrarian for entertainment) is not principled skepticism
Open Questions
- How does principled skepticism interact with trust in expertise? (Will come up in Unit 7)