CRITICAL THINKING

What It Isn’t                                                                           What It Is

Daydreaming                                                                Looking for hidden assumptions

Making snap judgments                                                Unraveling different strands

Defending what we “already know”                               Noticing various facets

                                                                                    Evaluating what’s most significant

What it Requires

IMAGINATION

To see things from perspectives other than our own; to envision possible consequences

ANALYSIS

Separating parts of the problem; trying to see how things fit together

EVALUATION

Judging the merit of our assumptions; considering the weight of the evidence

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A WRITER’S CHECKLIST FOR CRITICAL THINKING

• Does my thinking show imaginative open-mindedness and intellectual curiosity?
• That is, am I willing to examine my assumptions?
• Am I willing to entertain new ideas—those that I encounter while reading and those that come to mind while I am writing?

• Am I willing to work to get a better answer or point of view, for instance, to do research in order to find information and evaluate evidence?

• Can I summarize an argument accurately?

• Can I evaluate assumptions, evidence, and inferences?

• Can I present my ideas effectively—for instance, by organizing and by writing with my audience and purpose clearly in mind?

[Adapted from Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau, Current Issues and Enduring Questions, 5^th ed., Bedford, 1999.]

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