QUESTIONS IN CRITICALLY THINKING

Critical  thinking is aimed at deciding what to believe or do. We think critically whenever we try to decide what some evidence shows, whenever we assess or evaluate what someone else believes or is arguing, and whenever we try to present our own reasons for believing something. Keeping these three kinds of questions in mind can help us to organize our thinking. As we read or listen to someone develop their reasons for believing something, we should be asking these three kinds of questions.

a.  Questions  about meaning

Knowing how to reflect critically on meaning is fundamental to critical thinking. Before we decide what to believe or what to do, we need to make sure that we have clearly defined the words and concepts that we use to formulate the statements that we are assessing, to describe the proposals we are considering, and to frame the problems we are facing or the solutions we are contemplating. Otherwise, we run the real risk that we'll end up believing something we shouldn't , doing something that won' t succeed, or failing to solve the problems we tackle.

1. What is the claim being defended, or the course of action being proposed?
2. What are the claim's key words and what do they mean?
3. Can we provide examples to illustrate them and can we identify some contrasting concepts?
4. What is the framework within which this claim or proposal is being raised?What are some alternative or contrasting frameworks?

b.  Questions  about truth 

1. Some questions about truth are about the acceptability of premises. What are the sources of the information in the premises? Are those sources reliable? What objections to the truth of those premises are there, and how are they to be addressed?
2. Some questions about truth are about the sufficiency of premises. What forms of reasoning are in use? Would those premises constitute a valid argument for the conclusion? What conclusions could be validly drawn from those premises?
3. Some questions about truth are about alternatives. What other views on this subject are there? What are the strongest reasons in their favor? What are the strongest objections to them?

c.  Questions about value

1. Why is it important to perform this study?
2. What is the context that makes this study important or interesting?
3. Would the answers to these questions impact or influence studies in other disciplines?
4. How does this conclusion fit into the author's broader argument? 

Reference 

Hunter, David A. 2014. A Practical Guide to Critical Thinking: Deciding What to Do and Believe, Second Edition. Canada: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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CRITICAL THINKING: It's Soul and Importance

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Do we have to think critically all the time? The answer is no. Critical thinking is suitable whenever we are trying to decide what we ought to believe about some matter of fact or whenever we are trying to decide what to do or what course of action to adopt. In short , critical thinking is needed whenever we reason about what to believe or what to do. Is critical thinking skill important? The answer is yes. It is useful for your knowledge and autonomy.

Critical   thinking is reasonable, reflective thinking that is aimed at deciding what to believe or what to do (Rober t Ennis, 1987). The detailed explanation is as follow

1.    Deciding what to believe

Deciding what to believe is a matter of deciding what the facts are, figuring out what the world is like, or at least what some little corner of it is like. In deciding what to believe on some matter we take a stand on it. If it is a decision on a factual matter, then we take a stand on what the facts are. If it is a decision on an evaluative matter, then in deciding what to believe we are taking a stand on what is good or better . In either kind of case, critical thinking is aimed at helping us to make those kinds of decisions about what to believe.

1.    Deciding  about what to do

Critical thinking is also aimed at decisions about what to do. Deciding what to do really has two parts. First, one has to decide what to value or to strive for. This is a matter of determining on one's goals or end. Then, one has to decide how best to achieve that end. This is a matter of deciding on the best means to that end.

2.       Reasonable

Critical thinking is reasonable in another and deeper sense. Critical thinking about what to believe or what to do is reasonable in that it demands that we have reasons, and preferably good ones, for making the decisions we do. The aim of critical thinking is not simply to make a decision on what the facts are or what to strive for. In a way, it is easy to make such decisions. What is hard is having good reasons for the decisions we make. It is not enough to decide to believe that it is sunny out ; one has to have good reason to decide this. Likewise, it is not enough just to decide to value honesty or justice; one has to have good reason for this decision. So critical thinking is reasonable in that it demands that we have reasons, and preferably good ones, for making the decisions we do. We will be spending a lot of time in what follows exploring what makes something a good reason to believe or to do  something.

3.       Reflective  

Critical  thinking is also reflective. Critical thinking is reflective in the sense that it involves thinking about a problem at several different levels or from several different angles all at once, including thinking about what the right method is for answering or solving the problem.

Critical  thinking is valuable for two main reasons. First, thinking critically increases our chances of gaining knowledge, and knowledge is valuable. Second, thinking critically is essential to making up one's own mind about what to believe or what to do, which is essential to being autonomous, and being autonomous is valuable.We have seen that critical thinking is thinking that is aimed at deciding what to believe or to do. But ideally we want more than just to have an opinion about the facts; we want to know what they are. So critical thinking is really aimed at knowledge. Facts will be a knowledge unless it is true. Unfortunately  true facts is not enough to become our knowledge,  we  must believe the true facts. The last step to make facts to be knowledge is justification. To say that a belief is justified is to say that it is based or grounded in good reasons, that the believer has adequate or satisfactory reason to hold or to sustain her belief.

Critical thinking is important not only for knowledge but also for autonomy. Thinking critically is essential to making up one's own mind, and this is fundamental to being an autonomous person. By critical thinking you will have  the power the power to determine one' s self, to decide on one's own what to do or what to believe, what kind of life to live. Because critical thinking demands reasons and requires us tobe reflective as we decide what to believe and what to do, thinking critically is crucial to exercising our ability to determine our own minds, 

Reference

Hunter, David A. 2014. A Practical Guide to Critical Thinking: Deciding What to Do and Believe, Second Edition A JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC., PUBLICATION

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