INTRODUCTION TO CRITICAL THINKING Sukasah Syahdan

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RUNDOWN
1. Housekeeping
2. Session main coverage: Invitation to critical thinking
3. Tasks to do for/by next week
LEARNING OUTCOME:
1. Definition of what critical thinking is or is not.
2. Its benefits in the classroom, in the workplace, and in life.
3. Barriers to CT 1: basic human tendencies, and how to avoid them.
4. Barriers to CT 2: nature and use of language and how to avoid them.
5. Barriers to CT 3 : nature and use of logic vs fallacies, and how to avoid them.
6. CT application to analyze viral news. Include citation (Buku Panduan Akademik
Mahasiswa S1, 2022: 48-55) to support arguments.
FM’S ULTIMATE MISSION:

To invite and motivate Ss

to be willing to improve and
keep improving this important skill.
COVERAGE:
 basic concepts/basic  traits or characteristics of
building blocks: statement, critical thinkers
argument, premises
 types of barriers or hindrances
 definition
CT application
 benefits
 elements of thinking CT skills improvement
 standard of
reasoning/thinking
1. WHAT IS THINKING? WHAT IS CRITICAL
THINKING?
Thinking vis-a-vis breathing as a double phenomenon.
 So what is thinking?
 What is critical thinking?
 What are critical thinking skills?
WHAT IS CRITICAL THINKING?
Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly, rationally, and independently about what
to believe or do in response to complex problems or issues. It involves analyzing,
evaluating, and synthesizing information and arguments using logic and evidence.
Thinking critically can be a defense against a world of too much information and
too many people trying to convince us.
Our reasoning faculty is what distinguishes humans from beasts. Many animals can
see better, can hear better, and are stronger. But they cannot plan; they cannot think
through; they cannot discuss in the hopes of understanding better.
SO WHAT DOES CRITICAL THINKING INVOLVE?
 Observation
Curiosity
 Analysis
Open-mindedness
 Interpretation
SKILLS  Reflection Skepticism ATTITUDES
 Evaluation Humility
 Inference Honesty
 Explanation
 Problem solving
 Decision making
2. BENEFITS
CT is important for academic and professional success, as well as personal and social
development: in classroom, in workplace, in life!
 Helps students to improve their learning outcomes, academic performance, and
career prospects by enhancing their skills in research, writing, communication,
collaboration, creativity, and innovation.
 Helps students to develop their personal and social values, ethics, and citizenship by
enabling them to make informed and responsible decisions based on evidence and
logic.
 IN THE CLASSROOM
READ THE SITUATION BELOW.
CRITICAL THINKING VS. NON-CRITICAL THINKING.
Suppose that a professor in an economics course asks you to write a paper about whether gas prices will rise or fall over the
next six months. How should you decide what you believe? One option would be to flip a coin. Heads, you decide to believe
that gas prices will rise. Tails, you decide to believe that gas prices will fall. Another option would be to consult an astrologer
and believe what the stars tell you. Neither of these is an example of critical thinking. To use critical thinking skills to write
your paper about gas prices, you need to look for good reasons to think that gas prices will rise and good reasons to think that
gas prices will fall. Then you need to determine which reasons are better. When you provide reasons for believing
something, you make an argument.

Here’s an argument for the view that gas prices will rise: Over the next six months, China will have an increased demand for
gas and other petroleum products. So, the price of gas will rise.

Here’s an argument for the view that gas prices will fall: Over the next six months, Saudi Arabia will increase oil production.
So, gas prices will fall.

Unlike someone who flips a coin to decide what to believe about gas prices, someone who considers arguments is beginning
to think critically.

(Rainbolt and Dwyer, 2015:5)

 IN THE WORKPLACE
WHEN DO WE NEED TO BE CRITICAL?

In business contexts, for example when:

 deciding on a solution to a problem, Think of other contexts in which
 accepting a business proposal ,
we have to be critical.
 etc.
 IN LIFE
IS THIS SITUATION RELATABLE TO YOU?
Everyone's trying to convince you of something: You should go to bed early.
You should drop out of college. You should buy a hybrid car.
You shouldn’t eat sweet food. You should have a pet. You should study critical
thinking.
And you spend a lot of time trying to decide what you should be doing, that is,
trying to convince yourself: Should I go to bed early? Should I take out a student
loan? Should I buy a car? Is chocolate bad for my complexion? Should I really date
someone who owns a cat? Is critical thinking important?
Are you tired of being persuaded by many people? Of making bad decisions?
Of fooling yourself? Or just being confused?
(Epstein, 2005:1) Thus, we need
to be critical.
EXTRA: ELEMENTS OF REASONING
ELEMENTS
 Purpose
= parts or components of
 Question
any reasoning process that
 Information
help us to identify and
examine the structure and  Assumption
quality of our own  Inference
reasoning  Concept
 Implication &
 Point of view
EXTRA: STANDARDS OF REASONING
STANDARDS
 Clarity
= These are the criteria or
 Accuracy
principles that we use to
judge the quality of our  Relevance
reasoning.  depth
 Breadth
= They help us to evaluate
and improve our reasoning.  Logic
 Fairness &
 Significance
EXTRA: THE INTELLECTUAL TRAITS
These are the habits or
dispositions that we need to
develop and practice to
become better thinkers.
They help us to cultivate
and maintain a positive
attitude toward critical
thinking.
INTELLECTUAL TRAITS
 intellectual courage
 intellectual empathy
 intellectual integrity
 intellectual perseverance
 intellectual curiosity &
 intellectual humility.
3. BARRIERS TO CT: HUMAN TENDENCIES
BARRIER: BASIC HUMAN TENDENCIES

1. The Problem of Egocentricism

= self-centered/selfish, having the attitude of “it’s true
because I believe it”.
2. The Problem of Sociocentricism
= being too culture-bound, or having feelings of prejudice
toward certain people, society, tradition, or culture.

BAD THINGS CAN BE GOOD.

GOOD THINGS CAN BE BAD.
 Discussion

Discuss the problems on BASIC HUMAN TENDENCIES below:

1. Suppose that you had been adopted at birth by a family very different from your own and that you had been raised in a very
different subculture or even in a very different country.
a) Do you think that your political views would have been different? If not, why not? If so, how? Give two concrete
examples of views you find important in your own life that you might not have had.

b) Do you think that your views about right and wrong would have been different? If not, why not? If so, how? Give two
concrete examples of views you find important in your own life that you might not have had.

c) Do you think that your religious beliefs would have been different? If not, why not? If so, how? Give two concrete
examples of beliefs you find important in your own life that you might not have had.

2. Give an example of a view you once thought was obviously true but which you now think might be false. What led you to
change your mind?
 Discussion

Examine problems on basic human tendencies in our daily life and how to avoid them.
4. BARRIERS TO CT: NATURE AND USE OF LANGUAGE
Barrier: Nature and use of language
1. Vagueness: unclear
2. Emotive word: +/_ feelings
3. Ambiguity: more than 1 meaning
4. Nice expressions: nice words
5. Euphemisms: soften the meaning
6. False implications: misleading
7. Judgmental words: opinions made as facts
8. Meaningless comparisons: compared to what?
 Discussion

Be cautious of Euphemism. It might be used to hide the truth.

Directions:
Study the list of words and their euphemistic expressions on the next slide.
Match the expressions on the left with those on the right.
Which one do you prefer to use & in what context?
 REAL MEANING OR EUPHEMISMS ?
1 Retarded A First-year student
2 Downsizing B Newly single
3 Used car C Enhanced interrogation technique

4 Deaf D Adult entertainment

5 Old people E Gaming
6 Divorced F Firing
7 Primitive G Pre-owned car
8 Pimples H Pacified
9 Pornography I Blemishes
10 Bombed J Preliterate
11 Torture K Hearing impaired
12 Freshman L Friendly shooting
13 Gambling M Mentally challenged
14 Accidental killing by fellow soldiers N Senior citizen
 Discussion

Examine problems on the use of language in our daily life and how to avoid them.
5. BARRIERS TO CT: NATURE AND USE OF LOGIC
Barrier: Nature and use of logic – Erroneous logic: fallacies

Six (6) most common types of fallacy:

No. Fallacy type Definition
1 Ad Hominem Hate the person, not his/her action
2 Ad Populum (Bandwagon) Follow the crowd
3 Cherry Picking Give half truth only
4 Hasty Generalization Rush thinking/stereotyping
5 Irrelevant Comparisons/Weak Analogy Wrong comparison
6 False Dilemma/False Dichotomy Give 2 dificult choices only
 Discussion

Identify the FALLACY in the following arguments. State the type of fallacy.
1) Ford cars are no good. My father has had two and they gave him nothing but trouble.
2) Of course men should wear gemstones! Gemstones are all the rage these days.
3) A Saint Bernard dog is large, cuddly, furry, and makes a great house pet. A baby grizzly bear is also
large, cuddly, and furry. Therefore, a baby grizzly bear would make a great house pet, too.
4) Aurora’s marketing proposal is ridiculous and can’t be original. Indeed, she was caught cheating on the
marketing class once.
5) Either you send your kids to PMBS or they will become useless adults.
6) “A recent study found that there are plenty of scientists who disagree with the consensus position on this
phenomenon.”
 Discussion

Examine problems of fallacies in our daily life and share how to avoid them.
6. CT APPLICATIONS
- For analyzing media contents
- For decision making
- For problem solving
- Etc.
BE CAUTIOUS OF MANIPULATIONS

1. Word choices
2. Image cropping
 Discussion

1. Describe what you see in the

cartoon.
2. What is the message? Or
what does the cartoon want
to say?
 Discussion

The following 2 newspapers (the Seattle Times and Seattle Post

Intelligencer) report the same incident: Crane accident.
 Compare both newspapers’ images. Use the W-H questions below to
help you gather the ideas:
 What is happening?
 Who is involved?
 When?
 Where?
 Why?

 Compare both newspapers’ headlines. Do they have the same or

different perspectives?
1 2
Discussion

Discuss the following image 1 with your friends.

Use the W-H questions below to help you gather the ideas:
o What is happening?
o Who is involved?
o When?
o Where?
o Why?
IMAGE 1
 Discussion

You are going to see the whole picture (image 2).

Rediscuss the story with your friends.
Use the W-H questions below to help you gather the
ideas:
oWhat is happening now?
oWho is involved now?
oWhy?
Prepare to present your new story to the class.
 IMAGE 2
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk
 Discussion

1. Explain how word choices can influence someone’s point of view.

2. Explain how images can influence someone’s point of view.

FACTS, ASSERTIONS, & OPINIONS
It is always important to understand
whether someone is expressing
his/her opinion, or stating a fact.
 FACT, ASSERTION, & OPINION
FACT = 100 % true

ASSERTION = perhaps true

OPINION = relative, can be true or false

stronger Fact
Assertion
Opinion
Discussion

Directions:
Decide whether each statement below is a fact, assertion, or opinion.
1. The sun rises every morning,
2. Water flows downhill.
3. Plants grow towards sunlight.
4. Most people in this building like fried rice.
5. Neon green is an ideal color for a car.

Add your own statement.

 3 PHASES OF CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS:

1. DESCRIPTION
 Consists of basic questions that provide you with basic information.
2. ANALYSIS
 Consists of questions that provide you with several alternative actions.
3. EVALUATION
 Consists of questions that help you to make the best decision.
 CRITICAL THINKING MODELS
Don’t judge too quickly

We should always consider the following stages of critical thinking:

1. DESCRIPTION (asking what, where, who, & when)
2. ANALYSIS (asking how, why, & what if)
3. EVALUATION (asking so what & what next)
Note:
(avoid bias: strongly agree or disagree on an argument/a
Beware of BIAS
group of people without fair judgment)
1ST PHASE

2ND PHASE

3RD PHASE
Characteristics of
critical readers:

Critical
readers
are
critical
thinkers.

Critical
readers
always
ask many
questions
as they
read.
Let’s watch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP8NRgWtPaE
&ab_channel=ViralNation
 Discussion

Task: Apply the critical thinking model in analyzing some viral news:

 Choose a piece of viral news.

 Then analyze it using critical thinking model.
 Share your analysis with your friends.
 Include citation (check Buku Panduan Akademik Mahasiswa S1,
2022: 48-55) to support arguments.
What have we learned?
 Self
Reflection

Have your education up to this point prepared you to be

a critical thinker? Explain and give examples.
REFERENCES:
 Bovee, C. L., & Thill, J. V. (2021). Business communication today (15th ed.). London: Pearson.
https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781292353159

 Pirozzi, R., Starks-Martin, G., & Dziewisz, J. (2013). Critical reading critical thinking: Pearson new
international edition (4th ed.). Pearson International Content.
https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781292036878

 Other sources.