BSCP115: LOGIC & CRITICAL THINKING

Lecture-23
Topic: Etymology of Critical Thinking
Instructor: Muhammad Adeel Irshad
Email: adeelsociologist@lgu.edu.pk
Lahore Garrison University, Lahore
 Preamble
The symbols and truth tables for:
 Conjunction

 Negation

 Disjunction
 Objectives
After the completion of this presentation, the
participants will be able to:
 Describe the critical thinking

 Analyze the historical background of critical

thinking
 Apprehend the etymology of critical thinking
 Thinking
 Thinkingis a purposeful, organized process that
we use to make sense of our world.

Critical Thinking
Is the ability to think clearly and rationally about
what to do or what to believe.
The word critical comes from two words ‘Skeri’
and ‘Kirterion’ Which means to cut and standard of
judging.
Formation of logical inference
 Types of Thinking
 Critical Thinking
– Analyzing
– Evaluating
– Reasoning
 Creative Thinking
– New Ideas
 Critical and creative thinking leads towards;
– Problem solving
– Decision Making
 Critical Thinking
 Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly
and rationally about what to do or what to
believe.
 It includes the ability to engage in reflective and
independent thinking.
 Critical Thinking
Critical thinking skills enable us to do the following:
 understand the logical connections between ideas

 identify, construct and evaluate arguments

 detect inconsistencies and common mistakes in

reasoning
 solve problems systematically

 identify the relevance and importance of ideas

 reflect on the justification of one's own beliefs

and values
 Critical Thinkers
• Critical thinkers are usually curious and reflective
people.
• They think about both sides of situation, things.
The think deeply about different things. They
explore the world.
• They have good listening skills.
• They ask question to increase there
knowledge. The don’t think they are perfect .
• They distinguish between facts and opinion.
 Critical Thinkers
Some examples include:
 A plumber evaluates the materials that would
best suit a particular job.
 An attorney reviews evidence and devises a
strategy to win a case or to decide whether to
settle out of court.
 A manager analyzes customer feedback forms and
uses this information to develop a customer
service training session for employees.
 History
• The intellectual roots of critical thinking are
ultimately, to the teaching practice and vision
of Socrates 2,500 years ago who discovered by a
method of probing questioning that people
could not rationally justify their confident claims
to knowledge
• The earliest records of critical thinking are the
teachings of Socrates recorded by Plato.
 History
 Socrates maintained that for an individual to have
a good life or to have one that is worth living, he
must be critical questioner or must have an
interrogative soul.
 Socrates established the importance of "seeking
evidence, closely examining reasoning and
assumptions, analyzing basic concepts, and
tracing out implications not only of what is said
but of what is done as well.
 History
His method of questioning is now known as "Socratic
questioning" and is the best known critical thinking
teaching strategy.
 In his mode of questioning, Socrates highlighted the
need for thinking for clarity and logical consistency.
 Socrates demonstrated that having authority does not
ensure accurate knowledge. He established the method of
questioning beliefs, closely inspecting assumptions and
relying on evidence and sound rationale
 History
 According to Barry K. Beyer (1995), critical thinking
means making clear, reasoned judgments. During the
process of critical thinking, ideas should be reasoned,
well thought out, and judged
 The U.S. National Council for Excellence in Critical
Thinking defines critical thinking as the "intellectually
disciplined process of actively and skillfully
conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, or
evaluating information gathered from, or generated by,
observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or
communication, as a guide to belief and action.
 Etymology
In the term critical thinking, the
word critIcal (Grk. κριτικός = kritikos =
"critic") derives from the
word critic and implies a critique it
identifies the intellectual capacity and
the means "of judging", "of judgment",
"for judging", and of being "able to
discern"
 Skills of Critical Thinking
 Analyzing

 Reasoning

 Evaluating

 DecisionMaking
 Problem Solving
 Keys of Critical Thinking
 Recognize Assumptions
 Evaluate Arguments

 Draw Conclusion

RED
 Negative Thinkers

 Lack of respect for reason

 Intellectual arrogance

 Unwillingness to listen

 Intellectual laziness

 Lack of respect for evidence

 Benefits of Critical Thinking
 Academic Performance
– Understand the arguments and beliefs of others
– Develop and defend one’s own arguments
 Workplace
– Encourage open-mindedness to change
– More analytical in solving problems
 Daily Life
– Helps us to avoid making foolish personal decisions.
– Promotes good decisions on important social, political
and economic issues.
 Common Barriers in Critical Thinking
Lack of relevant background
information
Poor listening skills
Prejudice
Narrow-mindedness
Distrust of reason
Wishful thinking
Selective memory
Fear of change
Poor reading skills
Bias
Superstition
Closed-mindedness
Unwarranted assumptions and
stereotypes
Short term thinking
Overpowering emotions
 Take Home Assignment
 Givea critical analysis of your personality
(yourself) consisting on 500 words only.