A Definition of Critical Thinking

As a result of reading the suggested articles, Felix postings and some independent study, I think critical thinking is defined as not coming to a conclusion without careful consideration and analysis of the information put forth. The information should be approached and analyzed with:

• qualities of critical thinking;
• elements of thought;
• intellectual standards applied to those elements of thought.
  
  

Qualities of Critical Thinking

The following partial list of qualities of critical thinking is from The Critical Thinking Community (http://www.criticalthinking.org/articles/valuable-intellectual-traits.cfm).

• Intellectual Integrity - the problem or issue is approached in a consistent manner with an open mind and fairness to one’s opposition
• Intellectual Humility - thinking is free of prejudice and one is honest about his/her level of knowledge about the subject
• Intellectual Perserverance - adherence to logical and rational principles is followed despite the irrational and illogical opposition of others

The Elements of Thought

The Foundation of Critical Thinking (http://www.criticalthinking.org/starting/Begin-CTModel.cfm) considers the following to be the eight elements of thinking:

• Purpose - What is the objective, why is this being presented, questioned?
• Question at Issue - Is this question clear? Does it clearly describe what the issue is
• Information - What information is available to answer this question? Is this information accurate and reliable? Do I need more information?
• Interpretation and Inference - Is my conclusion logical?
• Concepts- Are there alternate concepts to the key concepts?
• Assumptions- Are my assumptions (or those of the presenter) based upon sound evidence?
• Implications and Consequences - What result/results will my action/actions cause
• Point of View - How am I approaching this information? How would others approach it?

Intellectual Standards

According to The Foundation of Critical Thinking (http://www.criticalthinking.org/starting/Begin-CTModel.cfm), the following are a few of the intellectual standards which should be applied to the elements of thought:

• Clarity - Are there examples, illustrations? Can this be elaborated more?
• Accuracy - Is this information tested and verified?
• Precision- Are there more details? Has this been considered in detail?
• Relevance - Is this related to the issue?
• Depth - What are the complexities or difficulties of this issue?
• Breadth - Has this been addressed from multiple viewpoints?
• Logic- Does this make sense?
• Significance - Is this the most important fact?
• Fairness- Am I a neutral observer/assessor/analyst of this information?

*"Official Initech Jump to Conclusions Mat" image found(http://www.thinkgeek.com/books/humor/8e6c/images/2070/); the creator's name is not clear