OLIVARIAN 201

CRITICAL
THINKING
INTRODUCTION
TO
PHILOSOPHY
Through this presentation you will learn:

• Definition and branches of philosophy

• Critical Thinking In Relation to Logic
• Benefits of Critical Thinking
• Barriers
• Characteristics of Critical Thinker

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 “ GIVE place here to some further consideration of
thought. You will never become great until your own
thoughts make you great, and therefore it is of the first
importance that you should THINK. ”

DO YOU AGREE?
 PHILOSOPHY
• The term derived from two Greek
words: philien which means “love
of” or “friendship for” and Sophia
which means “wisdom”
BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY
1. Metaphysics – the philosophical branch that
studies reality, existence, the nature of being, the
physical world, and the universe.

Ex.
What is the meaning of life?
What is our place in the universe?
Does the world really exist?
Do we have free will?
Does God exist?
2. Epistemology – often referred to as the theory
of knowledge. It delves into the definition, scope,
and parameters of knowledge and knowledge
formation.
Ex.
What can we know?
What is the difference between knowing and believing?
3. Ethics – also known as moral philosophy, is often referred
to as the study of morality. It seeks to address questions about
how we should live our lives, how we define proper conduct,
and what we mean by the good life.

Ex.
Is there a right and wrong?
What makes an action morally right and wrong?
How can we know what is morally right or wrong in any given
situation?
4. Logic – the branch of philosophy that studies reasoning. It
teaches us how to differentiate between good and bad
reasoning and how to construct valid arguments.

Ex.
What is an argument?
What is a good and bad argument?
How can we reason correctly?
 HISTORICAL
BACKGROUND OF LOGIC
GREEK PRE-SOCRATIC
PHILOSOPHERS
Thales of Miletus – questions and formulates
theories regarding the nature of the physical world.

Plato – questioned the veracity and validity of

ideas and theories
GREEK PRE-SOCRATIC
PHILOSOPHERS

Aristotle – formalized a systematic study of

logic
Chrysippus – believed logic and physics are
necessary to differentiate between good and
evil.
 WHAT IS THINKING?
Why is the sky blue?
Is time travel possible?
Why doesn’t she like me? Why
doesn’t he like me?

As you start asking questions and seek answers,

you are in fact THINKING.

In other words - Thinking is purposeful, organized process that we use to

make sense of the world. 1
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 TYPES OF THINKING
❖ Analyzing
❖ Evaluating
❖ Reasoning Problem solving
Decision Making

Critical Creative
Thinking Thinking
 LETS THINK!!!
THIS IS AN OLD QUIZ DEVELOPED BY
ANDERSON
1. How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?
2. How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?
3. The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All the animals
attend ... except one. Which animal does not attend?
4. There is a river you must cross but it is used by crocodiles, and
you do not have a boat. How do you manage it?

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WHAT IS CRITICAL THINKING?
What are
your
thoughts
about this?
 WHAT IS CRITICAL
THINKING?
Critical thinking is general term given to a wide range of cognitive
and intellectual skills needed to:

➢ Effectively identify, analyze and evaluate arguments.

➢ Discover and overcome personal prejudices and biases.
➢ Formulate and present convincing reasons in support of conclusions.
➢ Make reasonable, intelligent decisions about
what to believe and what to do.

Note: Critical thinking is a skill so fortunately for us we can enhance it

through practice. 1
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WHAT IS CRITICAL
THINKING?

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 CRITICAL THINKING STANDARDS 21

Universal intellectual standards are standards which must be

applied to thinking. To think critically requires having command of
these standards.

❏ CLARITY ❏ DEPTH
❏ ACCURACY ❏ BREADTH
❏ PRECISION ❏ LOGIC
❏ RELEVANCE ❏ FAIRNESS
 CLARITY

Clarity is the gateway standard. If a statement is unclear, we

cannot determine whether it is accurate or relevant. In fact, we
cannot tell anything about it because we don't yet know what it is
saying.
 CLARITY
❏Are my thoughts and ideas easy to
understand?
❑ Have I explained things in a way that someone
unfamiliar with the topic can understand?
 ACCURACY 24

Accuracy refers to the quality of being correct or free from error.

It's crucial to ensure that the information we use is accurate and
reliable.
 ACCURACY
❑ Is the information I'm using from a reliable
source?

❑ Have I fact-checked my information to

ensure it's correct?
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PRECISION

Precision refers to the quality of being exact and specific. It's

important to use precise language and definitions to avoid
confusion and misinterpretation.
 PRECISION
❑ Have I defined my terms clearly and precisely?

❑ Have I used specific examples to illustrate my

point?
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RELEVANCE

Relevance refers to the quality of being closely

connected to the topic at hand. It’s important to ensure
that our arguments and evidence are relevant to the issue
being discussed.
 RELEVANCE
❏ Have I strayed off-topic and included
information that is not relevant?

❑ Is the evidence I'm using directly related to the

issue being discussed?
 DEPTH 30

Depth refers to the quality of going beyond the surface level and
exploring the underlying complexities of an issue. It's important to
consider the deeper implications and consequences of our arguments.
 DEPTH
❏ Have I considered all the possible outcomes of my
argument?

❑ Have I explored the underlying causes and

implications of the issue being discussed?
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BREADTH

Breadth refers to the quality of considering multiple viewpoints

and perspectives. It's important to consider all sides of an issue and
evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each argument.
 BREADTH
❑ Have I considered all the possible viewpoints and
perspectives on the issue?

❑Have I evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of

each argument?
 LOGIC
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Logic refers to the quality of using reasoning and evidence to

support our arguments. It's important to ensure that our arguments are
logical and based on sound reasoning.
 LOGIC
❑ Have I used sound reasoning to support my
arguments?

❑ Have I used evidence to back up my claims?

 FAIRNESS

Fairness refers to the quality of being impartial and objective. It's

important to consider all sides of an issue and avoid being biased towards
one particular viewpoint.
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FAIRNESS
❑ Have I avoided being biased towards one particular
viewpoint?

❑ Have I evaluated the evidence objectively, without

letting my personal biases influence my
conclusions?
BENEFITS OF CRITICAL
THINKING
 Every day, we make countless decisions that impact
our personal and professional lives. Whether it's
choosing a college major, buying a car, or managing a
team, the quality of our decision-making is critical to
achieving success and satisfaction.
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Daily life
❏ Helps us avoid making foolish decision.
❏ Helps us become a good citizen capable of making good
decisions on important social, political and economic issues.
❏ Helps us in developing good thinking skill capable of
examining our own assumptions and dogmas.
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At Work
As more and more employers are looking for employees not with
specialized academic skills but with good thinking and
communications skills, who can

❏ Learn quickly and solve problems.

❏ Shows creativity.
❏ Gathers and analyze the issue meaningfully.

This has become vital skill for any professional

BARRIERS TO CRITICAL
THINKING
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You might ask,

➢ If the critical thinking is so important, then why is

uncritical thinking so common?

➢ Why is that so many people including the highly

educated and intellectual people find it difficult to
think critically?
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5 most powerful barriers to critical thinking

Self centered thinking

Egocentrism ❏ Self interest thinking
❏ Thinking self as centre of attention
Group centered thinking
❏ Group interest thinking
Sociocentrism ❏ To assume that own group is
more superior or righteous.
Unwarranted A belief that something is
true without proper evidence
Assumptions or justification.

Believing something is true because

Wishful one wishes it to be true.
Thinking
Thinking that truth is just a matter of
Relativism opinion.
CHARACTERISTIC
OF CRITICAL
THINKER
 Critical Thinker….
➢ Are honest with themselves.
➢ Regard problems and controversial issues as exciting challenges.
➢ Strive for understanding, keep curiosity alive remain patient with complexity.
➢ Base judgments on evidence rather than personal preferences.
➢ Are interested in other people's ideas and so are willing to read and listen
attentively.
➢ Practice fair mindedness, and seek a balance view.
➢ Practice restraint, controlling their feelings rather than being controlled by
them.
 ANSWERS FOR
QUIZ
❏ How do you put a giraffe into your refrigerator?

Open the refrigerator, put in the giraffe, and close the door.

This question tests whether you tend to do simple things in an overly complicated
way.

❏ How do you put an elephant into your refrigerator?

Did you say, Open the refrigerator, put in the elephant, and close the refrigerator?
Wrong answer.

Correct answer: Open the refrigerator, take out the giraffe, put in the elephant
and close the door.
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This tests your ability to think through the repercussions of your previous actions.
❏ The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All the animals attend - except one.
Which animal does not attend?

Correct Answer: The elephant. The elephant is in the refrigerator. You just put him in
there. This tests your memory.

Okay, even if you did not answer the first three questions correctly, you still have one
more chance to show your true abilities.

❏ There is a river you must cross but it is used by crocodiles, and you do not
have a boat. How do you manage it?

Correct Answer: You jump into the river and swim across. Have you not been
listening? All the crocodiles are attending the animal conference.
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This tests whether you learn quickly from your mistakes.
 ANY
QUESTIONS?
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REFERENCES

Bera, Anupam. (2023). The Power of Clear, Precise, and Relevant Thinking: Understanding the 9 Intellectual Standards.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/power-clear-precise-relevant-thinking-understanding-9-anupam-bera

Flinkliv. (2023). Critical Thinking.

https://flinkliv.com/pages/critical-thinking.html?fbclid=IwAR0_ZyT45WY5J4ARlz2maG-cUPNYVo1bbSqNrBMpn1r7LzYwI0fX8mc
4aI4

Pujanes, Kristel Marie. (2020). Philosophy 101: The Six Branches of Philosophy.
https://thebadbread.com/2020/04/08/philosophy-101-the-six-branches-of-philosophy/

Randall, Wilfrid. (2019). Branches of Philosophy. https://slideplayer.com/slide/15889363/

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