Description
Preface INTRODUCTION A Start-Up Definition of Critical Thinking How Skilled Are You as a Thinker? Good Thinking Requires Hard Work The Concept of Critical Thinking Become a Critic of Your Thinking Establish New Habits of Thought Develop Confidence in Your Ability to Reason and Figure Things Out Chapter 1 – BECOME A FAIRMINDED THINKER Weak versus Strong Critical Thinking What Does Fairmindedness Require? Intellectual Humility: Strive to Discover the Extent of Your Ignorance Intellectual Courage: Develop the Courage to Challenge Popular Beliefs Intellectual Empathy: Learn to Enter Opposing Views Empathically Intellectual Integrity: Hold Yourself to the Same Standards to Which You Hold Others Intellectual Perseverance:Refuse to Give Up Easily; Work Your Way through Complexities and Frustration Confidence in Reason: Respect Evidence and Reasoning, and Value Them as Tools for Discovering the Truth Intellectual Autonomy: Value Independence of Thought Recognize the Interdependence of Intellectual Virtues Conclusion Chapter 2 – THE FIRST FOUR STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT: AT WHAT LEVEL OF THINKING WOULD YOU PLACE YOURSELF? Stage 1: The Unreflective Thinker Stage 2: The Challenged Thinker Stage 3: The Beginning Thinker Stage 4: The Practicing Thinker A “Game Plan” for Improvement A Game Plan for Devising a Game Plan Integrating Strategies One by One Chapter 3 – SELF-UNDERSTANDING Monitor the Egocentrism in Your Thought and Life Make a Commitment to Fairmindedness Recognize the Mind’s Three Distinctive Functions Understand That You Have a Special Relationship to Your Mind Connect Academic Subjects to Your Life and Problems Learn Both Intellectually and Emotionally Chapter 4 – THE PARTS OF THINKING Reasoning Is Everywhere in Human Life Reasoning Has Parts A First Look at the Elements of Thought An Everyday Example: Jack and Jill Analysis of the Example How the Parts of Thinking Fit Together The Relationship between the Elements Critical Thinkers Think to Some Purpose Critical Thinkers Take Command of Concepts Critical Thinkers Assess Information Inert Information Activated Ignorance Activated Knowledge Critical Thinkers Distinguish between Inferences and Assumptions Critical Thinkers Think through Implications Critical Thinkers Think across Points of View The Point of View of the Critical Thinker Conclusion Chapter 5 – STANDARDS FOR THINKING Take a Deeper Look at Universal Intellectual Standards Clarity Accuracy Precision Relevance Depth Breadth Logic Significance Fairness Bring Together the Elements of Reasoning and the Intellectual Standards Purpose, Goal, or End in View Question at Issue or Problem to Be Solved Point of View or Frame of Reference Information, Data, Experiences Concepts, Theories, Ideas Assumptions Implications and Consequences Inferences Brief Guidelines for Using Intellectual Standards Chapter 6 – ASK QUESTIONS THAT LEAD TO GOOD THINKING The Importance of Questions in Thinking Questioning Your Questions Dead Questions Reflect Inert Minds Three Categories of Questions Become a Socratic Questioner Focus Your Thinking on the Type of Question Being Asked Focus Your Questions on Univers
