Critical Thinking

Sara Nader Hasan Safi : Applied English language, The University of Jordan, Aqaba

)I (Introduction:

Allah said: "Indeed, the worst of living creatures in the sight of Allah are the deaf
and dumb who do not use reason." Allah almighty is truthful. (The Quran 8:22 , Surah al-
Anfal). The most important thing that distinguishes humans from other creatures is that
they have minds and the ability to think. But although humans have this ability, there are
humans who do not exploit the use of this ability; so they do not exceed the prevailing
understanding of those around them and imitate it without thinking. Our ability to think
does not necessarily mean the integrity of our thinking. How many people have many
mental and physical skills but they have not employed them well therefore become
worthless.

As humans, we are constantly thinking. It's something we can't turn off. But not all
of it is critical thinking. No one thinks critically 100% of the time, that would be pretty
exhausting! Instead, it's an intentional process, something that we consciously use when
we're presented with difficult problems or important decisions. So what's the difference
between thinking and critical thinking?

Thinking is a mental process in which a person quickly and easily establish a

thought about something. It does not require or take long hours in analyzing the situation.
And it's frequent action which we come across in our daily lives.

Critical thinking is also the action of thinking but has exceptions. It's more complex
and tedious task than thinking. It may last for hours and the decision still comes out
unstable . Because it's involves the analysis of the situation or the topic critically and
involves a very deep investigation of every possible outcome and all aspects of the topic.
And it is not a frequent task; we may not face it in our everyday life.

In this research paper, I want to discuss the definition of critical thinking, its steps,
its most important skills, types, benefits and special standards, in addition to how to
employ this skill in our professional life, specifically in the university.
(II( Definition:
Critical thinking is a method of problem-solving that involves examining the
evidence and arguments presented by the people involved in a dispute, identifying the
strengths and weaknesses of each side's position, and synthesizing those elements into a
conclusion.This process helps to ensure that your conclusions are based on facts instead
of assumptions or bias.
In another words, critical thinking is a set of skills which can be developed by people to
help them find answers to questions, solve problems, and make decisions. Critical
thinking involves being able to analyze information, understand it, and draw conclusions
using reason. In order to be a good critical thinker, you need to understand how people in
different fields think about problems, use your imagination and creative thinking to solve
problems and be able to evaluate the reliability of sources of information.

Critical thinking might be thought of as a set of skills of the mind, skills which
enable one to be attentive to the world around her, to properly evaluate and measure up
various data, events, or processes transpiring in that world. As anyone with experience in
attempting to think critically will attest to, this process is fraught with difficulties. There
are a thousand things which might aspire against the would-be critical reasoner.
Even after having applied the process to the best of her ability the question can still loom
in the air: "Could I have gotten it wrong?" or "Might I have missed something?" Even the
best critical reasoners are not immune to such possibilities. All of this serves to highlight
the intrinsic value of humility in any critical reasoner. Every critical thinker must always
remain open to the idea that "I have missed some-thing." Humility, then, is not a virtue
which a successful critical thinker can do without. (Anderson,2012,p.4)

(III) The main steps of critical thinking:

1)Ask important questions about what you want to think or identify the problem or
question. Be as precise as possible ; the narrower the issue, the easier it is to find
solutions or answers.
2)Gather as much information as you can about the topic you’re thinking so you can
build your judgment based on correct knowledge and not ignorance.Try to find several
sources that present different ideas and points of view.
3)Try to reach results based on sound logical construction.Is the sample size sufficient?
Are all opinions and arguments even relevant to the problem you’re trying to solve?
4)Test your results by pairing them with reality and with the perspectives of others.
5)Evaluate your situation and compare it with that of others: Have you built your
situation from your own convictions, or have relied on information from different
sources? Did your sources follow a specific school of thought or belief or did you try to
see different views? In other words : are you sure the sources you found are unbiased?
Are you sure you weren’t biased in your search for answers?
6)Try to think with an open mind, do not make your judgments before you know the
facts. We all make mistakes and what you think may be not true.
7)Try to discuss your thoughts with others to get a better view and clarity about the ideas
you are saying. Try to be discussing with people you disagree with and try to think about
the reasons why they adopted that point of view.
8)Ruler the point of views from the perspective of the facts and information you have
gathered.

(IV) Critical thinking skills:

There are many important skills involved in thinking critically. To become a better
critical thinker, familiarize yourself with these key concepts:
1)Open-mindedness: This means being willing to consider new and different
perspectives, even if they go against your initial beliefs. Critical thinkers must work to
have unbiased thought processes and remain open to more than one point of view. This
openness to challenging information is a foundation for critical thinking.
2)Analysis: this skill is necessary to identify a new issue and realize why it is a
problem. Analyze information to determine its reliability and to understand it well
enough to draw further conclusions. This is one of the most important aspects of critical
thinking.
3)Interpretation: Means having the ability to understand and comprehend the
information being presented with and being able to communicate the meaning of that
information to others. Take time to interpret your analysis and deciphering the meaning
of relevant information.
4)Problem-solving: In fact, critical thinking and problem-solving go hand-in-hand. They
both refer to using knowledge, facts, and data to solve problems effectively. In problem-
solving, once you analyze and interpret a problem, you can come up with one or more
possible solutions.
5)Decision-making: By making a decisive decision, you come to a conclusion based on
the data you have interpreted. Actually the final step in the process is executing your
solution. This involves problem-solving and decision-making skills. 
6)Effective & Good communication: You must be able to convincingly explain your
conclusions to others. Having thought-provoking conversations with others is a great way
to learn how to communicate complex ideas effectively especially if the other party has
an opposing viewpoint. 
7)Self-improvement: Good critical thinkers develop positive habits of mind by reflecting
on their own personal critical thinking process and looking for ways to improve it.

 (V) Types of critical thinking

Types of critical thinking are divided into three categories:

 Deduction : By deduction , we mean that the person depends on the two preludes
to the argument for inferiary results. In other words; to get the whole idea from its
part. For example:
-Introduction to the first argument: Sarah is a student.
-Introduction to the second argument: Every student has a university ID.
-The result: Sarah has a university ID.

 Induction : It is to extracting new conclusions from introductions that we know

with certainty. It's mean to get the part from the whole. For example:
-The sum of even numbers is always an even number.
-So the sum of 2+10=12 which is an even number.

 Abduction : Is to reach a correct intuitive result without certain evidence of its

validity, just as the student in the test excludes the answers that he believes are
incorrect to choose the remaining answer despite his uncertainty about its validity.

(VI) The importance of critical thinking:

It is crucial to think critically in this time because so much information is available

around us. This skill help us to figure out what is true and isn’t so, you need to think
critically and process information. When you think critically, you make healthy, informed
decisions based on facts & data rather than faulty assumptions. Your ability in thinking
critically contribute in success in your personal and professional life as well as in your
workplace ; because today’s workplace emphasizes data-driven decision-making, which
makes critical thinking a skill more important than ever.
Collectively these reasons illustrate why this skill is so valuable in everyday situations:
1) improves language skills: Thinking clearly and systematically can improve the way
you express your ideas. In literature or any other social science, you improve your
comprehension skills when you critically analyze texts.
2)promotes creative problem-solving: In order to find creative solutions in the
workplace, you don’t just need new ideas; your ideas also need to be useful and relevant
to the task. Critical thinking helps you evaluate new ideas by selecting the most useful
ones and modifying them when necessary.
3)It enhances creativity : Creative people question assumptions about many things.
Instead of arguing for limitations, creative minds ask "how" or"why not?" Creativity is
eternal and it has limitless potential, which means we are unlimited as creative people. If
creativity is within all of us, then we are also limitless. 
4)Freedom from Emotional Attachment: We are emotional beings . When questions
keep coming up, we tend in most cases to rely on our hearts and emotions to tackle those
questions. But when you think critically, our emotional tend not to appear which making
our decisions unemotional, but objective based on facts.
5)Improves Decision Making: Since life throws countless problems, so dealing with
them will require you to think critically.Once you integrate this type of thinking pattern
into your routine life, you will then take a step back and think about your decision's
assumptions, causes, and consequences. This will help you in figuring out the best
solutions to complex problems. Over time you will be engaged in this process
subconsciously.

(VII) Criteria for critical thinking:

Critical thinking criteria mean those general specifications agreed upon by

researchers in the field of thinking, which are mainly used in judging the type of
inferential or orthodontic thinking practiced by the individual in dealing with the subject.
These criteria can be summarized in the following:

1 ) Clarity: It is one of the most important criteria for critical thinking as the main
entrance to the rest of the other criteria. If the phrase is not clear, we will not be able to
understand it and we will not be able to know the purposes of the speaker, and therefore
we will not be able to judge him.
2 ) Health: It is that the phrase is correct and documented . The phrase may be clear but
not true.
3 ) Accuracy: Accuracy in thinking means fulfilling the subject as a description of
processing and expressing it without increasing or decreasing.
4 ) Linkage : It means the extent of the relationship between the question or the
intervention on the subject of the discussion.
The intervention must be related to the problem.
5 ) Depth: It means that the intellectual treatment of the subject or problem does not in
many cases lack the required depth commensurate with the complexities of the problem
and does not resort to solve it to superficiality.
6 ) Widening: It means taking into account all aspects of the subject and try to put them
into account in order to reach a logical result. Avoid missing any perspectives especially
if they are against your opinion.
7 ) Logic: It means that inferring to solve the problem makes sense; because it is the
criterion on which to judge the quality of thinking. Logical thinking is the organization,
sequence and interdependence of ideas in a way that leads to a clear meaning or an
outcome of reasonable arguments.

(VIII) Using critical thinking in the university's life :

Critical thinking is a academic skill that teaches undergraduate and

postgraduate students to question or reflect on their own knowledge and information
presented to them. This skill is essential for students working on assignments and
performing research. It’s also an invaluable skill in many workplace scenarios. We have
faced many situations , problems and questions in our professional lives, especially in our
university life which need us to think differently and deeply ,by analysis and criticism the
whole issue's aspects to reach a solutions to all problems and answers to many questions
that are on our mind.
One of the situations that happened to me in my second year at university when I
had to use critical thinking as a way to find a suitable solution was problem with the
Admissions and Registration Unit regarding the study schedule. In details, specifically in
the first semester and after I went a long way in the semester, I was called up from the
Admissions and Registration Unit claiming that they are about to drop my study
schedule. I was shocked at that time, in addition to what I was suffering from
psychological and study pressures. So my anger intensified and when I arrived, I called
them with impolite words even before I heard their reasons. My friend was with me. She
regretted on my behalf and strongly justified my emotional reason which made them
overlook what I said. At that time, I knew that I needed to think critically and calmly. So
I listened to the admission and registration's employee and asked her about the reason.
Therefore the picture became clear to me and erased all the fallacies, beliefs and
misinformation that I thought before this situation. After hearing several perspectives, I
knew that she was right and that I was wrong. So I modified my mistake and apologized
to her.

(IX) conclusion :
     In this pepper i reviewed more than one concept of critical thinking and
explained the correct steps to be able to think critically, and the most important skills
related to this type of thinking were mentioned in addition to the most important types of
it and the differences and similarities between them. I also discussed the importance of
our use of critical thinking in daily life (personal and professional) and what positives
may be reflected when employing and developing this skill (critical thinking). The
criteria for the skill of critical thinking deserve to mention, so fulfill their right and
explain the difference between those criteria. Finally, I mentioned the importance of
employing critical thinking in our university life. Since I am a university student, I
mentioned a simple position for my use and resort to critical thinking intuitively and
without feeling the need to reach a solution.

References:

1) Anderson, Justin M (Seton Hall University,2012).

2) Alquran Alkareem, Surah al-Anfal.

3) Introduction to Philosophy and Critical Thinking

course.
 4) https://asana.com/resources/critical-thinking-skills

Sarah nader hasan safi 3200286