What Is Critical Thinking? By Naeem Khan

 On Critical Thinking 

Critical thinking is objective analysis and evaluation for making a decision, judgement or problem solution.  It's not just thinking for the sake of thinking or over thinking.

Philosophy is necessary for critical thinking so that you can objectively analyze things and then evaluate and draw conclusions.  You don't jump to conclusions emotionally.  It's SIDDF Socratic, inductive, deductive, dialectical and fallibilistic.

Philosophy is also RETI Rationalism, Empiricism, Transcendentalism and Intuitionism.

Critical Thinking makes you recognize the  truth. Truth is the language to describe reality and reality must correspond to facts while facts must correspond to experience, observation,  occurrence in real world or logic.

Suspend your judgement by critical thinking and you'll enjoy life of doubt. 

 Certainties are boring 😴.  Don't go for sure things.  Enjoy twists, zigzag, complications and find your way in jungles in lieu of straight paths, easy solutions and quick fixes.  

Beware of charlatans and cocksure messengers otherwise you'll be a bigot or fanatic with radical ideas.

Stop your decisions or judgements when there is no evidence.  

When you're doubtful about rain 🌧,  you'll take your umbrella 🌂.

Philosophy gave  Renaissance, Enlightenment and Science.  It's essential for critical thinking. No sane person will ignore it. PhD and MPhil know what's Philosophy and how to search reality,  truth and reach to conclusions via research. Happiness and finding meaning of life are other products of Philosophy.

Knowledge journey begins with critical thinking.  We're what but what we think.  Let's think but critically.  Critical Thinking is also solution to Over Thinking. We become creative, original, pure, authentic genuine and true persons after critical thinking.  

5  Steps to Improve Critical Thinking

Formulate the question (DEFINE)

Gather information (DISCOVER, DREAM)

Apply the information (DESIGN, DELIVER)

Consider the implications (DEBRIEF, DISCOVER, DESIGN)

Explore other points of view (DEBRIEF)

The skills that we need in order to be able to think critically are varied and include observation, analysis, interpretation, reflection, evaluation, inference, explanation, problem solving, and decision making.

You need 4 prerequisites for Critical Thinking: Curiosity, Creativity, Skepticism and Research.

The earliest records of critical thinking are the teachings of Socrates recorded by Plato. These included a part in Plato's early dialogues, where Socrates engages with one or more interlocutors on the issue of ethics such as question whether it was right for Socrates to escape from prison. The philosopher considered and reflected on this question and came to the conclusion that escape violates all the things that he holds higher than himself: the laws of Athens and the guiding voice that Socrates claims to hear.

Socrates established the fact that one cannot depend upon those in "authority" to have sound knowledge and insight. He demonstrated that persons may have power and high position and yet be deeply confused and irrational. Socrates maintained that for an individual to have a good life or to have one that is worth living, he must be a critical questioner and possess an interrogative soul. He established the importance of asking deep questions that probe profoundly into thinking before we accept ideas as worthy of belief.

Source:

Visser, Jan; Visser, Muriel (2019). Seeking Understanding: The Lifelong Pursuit to Build the Scientific Mind. Leiden: BRILL. p. 233.