Critical Thinking
Robert H. Ennis,
"Critical thinking is reasonable, reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe and do.“
Dewey, John
Critical thinking is "active, persistent, and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it and the further conclusions to which it tends."
A critical thinker:
1. Is open-minded and mindful of alternatives
2. Tries to be well-informed
3. Judges well the credibility of sources
4. Identifies conclusions, reasons, and assumptions
5. Judges well the quality of an argument, including the acceptability of its reasons,
assumptions, and evidence
6. Can well develop and defend a reasonable position
7. Asks appropriate clarifying questions
8. Formulates plausible hypotheses; plans experiments well
9. Defines terms in a way appropriate for the context
10. Draws conclusions when warranted, but with caution
11. Integrates all items in this list when deciding what to believe or do
Critical Thinking Abilities:
1. Focus on a question
2. Analyze arguments
3. Ask and answer questions of clarification and/or challenge
4. Judge the credibility of a source
5. Observe, and judge observation reports
6. Deduce, and judge deduction
7. Make and judge value judgments
8. Define terms and judge definitions
"Critical thinking is reasonable, reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe and do.“
Dewey, John
Critical thinking is "active, persistent, and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it and the further conclusions to which it tends."
A critical thinker:
1. Is open-minded and mindful of alternatives
2. Tries to be well-informed
3. Judges well the credibility of sources
4. Identifies conclusions, reasons, and assumptions
5. Judges well the quality of an argument, including the acceptability of its reasons,
assumptions, and evidence
6. Can well develop and defend a reasonable position
7. Asks appropriate clarifying questions
8. Formulates plausible hypotheses; plans experiments well
9. Defines terms in a way appropriate for the context
10. Draws conclusions when warranted, but with caution
11. Integrates all items in this list when deciding what to believe or do
Critical Thinking Abilities:
1. Focus on a question
2. Analyze arguments
3. Ask and answer questions of clarification and/or challenge
4. Judge the credibility of a source
5. Observe, and judge observation reports
6. Deduce, and judge deduction
7. Make and judge value judgments
8. Define terms and judge definitions