Critical Thinking

Abstract

Critical thinking can be interpreted as the ability to intellectually process, gather, apply, analyze, reason, and communicate information. The true definition of critical thinking can be debate with the different theorist assumptions. Chaffee believes that critical thinking create logic, Browne and Keeley deem critical thinking as a filtering process, but Brookfield argues that critical thinking is a process instead of a skill. The author of this document will compare and contract the different definitions of critical thinking through cognitive development, logic and emotionality relating to the ability to think. The document will also display a personal evaluation of how the residency course of Philosophy 700 has been a beneficial element in the author’s continuation of becoming a more scholarly leader as well as successfully completing the doctoral program.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking can be interpreted as the ability to intellectually process, gather, apply, analyze, reason, and communicate information. According to Gordon (2000), the concept may be identified as the ability to successfully plan, problem-solve, research, and make sound decisions. Critical thinking is a concept in which instructors are continuously researching ways to teach to students of various industries (Carroll-Johnson, 2001). The concept of critical thinking includes a compound combination of skills, which includes but is not limited to cognitive development, logic, and emotionality. The purpose of this document is to compare and contrast the different definitions of critical thought with regard to cognitive development, logic, and emotionality, in addition to the author’s interpretation of the Philosophy 700 course.

Comparing and Contrasting Critical Thought

The definition of critical thinking can be defined in different ways. According to Tucker (1997), meanings may differ by perspective. Critical thinking may be thought of as the filtering of related and unrelated information (Browne & Keeley, 1986). Chaffee (1985) defines critical thinking as having the ability to create logic of humanity by analyzing the thinking of self and others in hopes of clarifying and advancing knowledge. Both of the previously stated definitions define critical thinking as a skill. In contrast to Browne, Keeley, and Chaffee definitions, Brookfield (1987) argues that critical thinking is a procedure. Brookfield (1987) developed the following characteristics of the critical thinking process:

1. Identifying and challenging assumptions

2. Challenging the importance of context

3. Trying to imagine and explore alternatives

4. Reflective skepticism (p. 7-9).

Demonstrated by the aforementioned definitions, it can be concluded that critical thinking does not have an affirmed definition. Some theorists think that the foundation of critical thinking begins with cognitive development.

Cognitive Development

Cognitive development is the assembly of thought processes, which includes decision-making and problem-solving skills beginning from childhood (Riegel, 1973). Based upon the aforementioned, it may be interpreted that the development of cognitive thinking plays a significant role in a person’s ability to think critically. A Psychologist and theorist Jean Piaget developed the following four stages of development:

1. Sensorimotor Stage: Birth to approximately age 2 is when children develop a significant amount of cognitive development with the inability to use logic.

2. Pre-Operational Stage: Ages 2 to approximately 7 is when children still lack logical thinking and perception, but acquire verbal communication and additional cognitive development.

3. Concrete Operational Stage: Ages 7 to adolescence is when conversation and perception is understood. Though there is a lack of hypothetical thinking, there is the ability to reason and solve problems.

4. Formal Operation Stage: Adolescence to adulthood is when abstract thinking develops and the ability to use sophisticatedly logical thoughts to solve problems using different methods (University of Phoenix, 2008).

Logical

Thinking logically may be interpreted as a strategy used to solve a problem. Having the ability to use logic means to constantly use reason when arriving to a conclusion. Situations that require logical thinking must have some type of structure when developing a relationship. This method requires obtaining the essential thoughts, information, and closing stages involved in an issue and arranging them in a chain-like sequence that takes on a meaning in and of itself. To think logically means to plan and solve problems in an abstract form. A logic problem has three key essentials points:

1. The premise: An introductory that sets the foundation for recognizing elements demonstrating how each relates to the other. The study used between 4 to 10 subjects.

2. The condition: Following the premise are the guidelines for correlating the subjects. The number of conditions used by the researcher is between 2 to 10.

3. The questions: Following the condition are the questions. A deductive analysis must be used during the questioning process. Only one answer can be right to the questioning portion (University of Phoenix, 2008).

Emotionality

A barrier to critical thinking is emotion and personal feelings. According to Kirby and Goodpaster (2002), “bury, twist, and fragment the thinking process” (p.30). Although emotionality is a part of the critical thinking process, “Thinking without feeling is often cold and sterile” (Kirby & Goodpaster, 2002, p. 291). Using emotion when thinking, will aid in the thinker’s ability to make a good decision based on both logic and intuition (University of Phoenix, 2008). According to the University of Phoenix (2008), “a critical thinker can believe passionately in his or her own religious belief system yet still maintain an understanding that it is not the only acceptable religious belief system” (p. 28). Brookfield (1987) affirms that critical thinking begins with a favorable passion. The emotion can cause the thinker to explore outside of his or her “comfort zone” (University of Phoenix, 2008, p. 28) into something new. The passionate events of emotion supports growth only if the event is negative (University of Phoenix, 2008). When using feelings to an improvement versus a weakness, an individual must become