Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking is about becoming a better thinker in every aspect of your life: in your career, and as a consumer, citizen, friend, parent, and lover. Discover the core skills of effective thinking; then analyze your own thought processes, identify weaknesses, and overcome them. Learn how to translate more effective thinking into better decisions, less frustration, more wealth and above all, greater confidence to pursue and achieve your most important goals in life.

ISBN 0131149628   Pages 544 ISBN13 9780131149625 (What's this?)   Volumes 1 Publisher Pearson Education (US)   Weight (grammes) 804 Imprint Prentice Hall   Published in Upper Saddle River Format Paperback   Previous ISBN 9780130869722 Publication date 28 Jul 2005   Height (mm) 232 Library of Congress 2005016122   Width (mm) 191 DEWEY 370.152   Spine width (mm) 28 DEWEY edition DC22   Academic level Professional / Scholarly

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 1. Becoming a Fair-minded Thinker. Weak vs. Strong Critical Thinking What Does Fair-Mindedness Require? Intellectual Humility: Strive to Discover the Extent of Their Ignorance Intellectual Courage: Develop the Courage to Challenge Popular Beliefs Intellectual Empathy: Learn to Empathically Enter Opposing Views Intellectual Integrity: Hold Yourself to the Same Standards to Which They 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 2. The First Four Stages of Development: At What Level Would You Place Yourself? Stage One: The Unreflective Thinker Stage Two: The Challenged Thinker Stage Three: The Beginning Thinker Stage Four: The Practicing Thinker 3. Self-Understanding. Monitor the Egocentrism in Your Thought and Life Make a Commitment to Fair-Mindedness 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 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 The Best Thinkers Think to Some Purpose The Best Thinkers Take Command of Concepts The Best Thinkers Assess Information Inert Information Activated Ignorance Activated Knowledge The Best Thinkers Distinguish Between Inferences and Assumptions The Best Thinkers Think through Implications The Best Thinkers Think across Points of View The Point of View of the Critical Thinker Conclusion 5. The Standards for Thinking. Taking a Deeper Look at Intellectual Standards Clarity / Accuracy / Precision / Relevance / Depth / Breadth / Logicalness / Significance / Fairness Bringing 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 6. Asking Questions That Lead to Good Thinking. The Importance of Questioning 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 Universal Intellectual Standards for Thought / Focus Your Questions on the Elements of Thought / Focus Your Questions on Prior Questions / Focus Your Questions on Domains of Thinking Conclusion 7. Master the Thinking, Master the Content. Go Beyond Superficial Memorization to Deep Learning The Relation of Content to Thinking Understand Content through Thinking and Thinking through Content All Content is Organized by Concepts All Content is Logically Interdependent Think Through Your Classes Using Your Knowledge of Thinking A Caution 8. Discover How the Best Thinkers Learn. 18 Ideas for Improving Your Studies The Logic of a Typical College Class Becoming a Skilled Thinker The Design of a Typical College Class and the Typical College Student Figure Out the Underlying Concept of Your Courses Figure Out the Form of Thinking Essential to Courses or Subjects Think Within the Logic of the Subject A Case: The Logic of Biochemistry Make

"What sets this book apart from the others are the examples and exercises that force students to personally understand the relevance of the topic under discussion. That the reader must learn to 'know thyself.'" -- Brian J. Shelley, York Technical Institute "Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Learning and Your Life provides a fresh insight regarding this seemingly ominous subject of Critical Thinking. The subject was so intriguing that, at times, I found the text much like a long awaited novel, hard to put down." -- Jill Simons, Arkansas State University "The material is written to arouse a student's curiousity by posing controversial and provocative 'think for yourself' questions..." -- Becky Goodman, University of Hawaii "This text is unique in that certain core values and capabilities ('virtues') are requisite..." -- Michael Craven, Clark College "Critical Thinking...is superior to the usual 'shortcut/toolkit' type texts..." -- Gary Greer, University of Houston, Downtown

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