The Nature of Logic and Perception Essay -- Critical Thinking

Critical idea is the use of those cognitive skills or strategies that increase the hazard of a desirable outcome. It is used to describe thinking that is purposeful, reasoned and goal directed - the kind of thinking involved in solving problems, formulating inferences, calculating likelinesss, and making decisions when the thinker is using skills that are thoughtful and effective for the particular context and type of thinking task. Thus, critical thinking involves following evidence where it leads considering both possibilities relying on reason rather than emotion being precise considering a variety of possible viewpoints and explanations weighing the effects of motives and biases being concerned more with conclusion the truth than with being right not rejecting unpopular views out of hand being aware of ones own prejudices and biases, and not allowing them to sway ones judgment. The purpose of critical thinking is, therefore, to achieve understanding, evaluate viewpoints, and solve problems. Since all three areas involve the asking of questions, we can say that critical thinking is the questioning or inquiry we quest after in when we seek to understand, evaluate, or resolve. Critical thinking includes the ability to respond to material by distinguishing between facts and opinions or personal feelings, judgments and inferences, inductive and deductive arguments, and the neutral and subjective. It also includes the ability to generate questions, constru...