Topic 4 Discover Parts of Thinking

TOPIC 4
Discover Parts of Thinking

(1)
10/09/2015 1
Topic 4: learning outcomes
• At the end of the topic, the students should be

able to:
• Distinguish eight (8) elements of thinking.
• Able to apply elements of thinking into a line of
thinking.
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The Parts of Thinking
It should be clear to you now that
• Critical thinking requires the development of basic
intellectual skills, abilities, and insights.
• Becoming a skilled thinker is like becoming skilled in
basketball or ballet.
• These skills can serve in two ways: self
centeredness or fair-mindedness.
• Being fair mindedness means to develop a network
of inter related traits of mind.
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The Parts of Thinking
• Development as a critical thinker occurs in
predictable stages.
• Engaging in development of thinking is challenging,
it requires ‘planned practice’, and emerging over
many years.
• Human egocentrism is an obstacle to fair-
mindedness.
• To overcome our egocentrism, we must understand
and exercise some control over, the three basic
function of human mind, The thinking, feeling and
wanting.
10/09/2015 4
Fig 5. Critical thinkers routinely apply the intellectual standards to the elements of reasoning in
order to develop intellectual traits. The standards are covered in Chapter 3; the intellectual
traits, in Chapter 8.
© 2006 Pearson Education, Inc.

Critical Thinking: Learn the Tools the Best Thinkers Use, Concise Edition Pearson Prentice Hall
By Richard Paul and Linda Elder Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
The Elements or Parts of
Thinking
• The elements of thought also can be called the
“parts of thinking” or the “fundamental structures of
thought”.
• The elements or parts of thinking are always
present whenever reasoning occurs, regardless of
whether we think poorly or we reason/think well.
• We begin to reason from the moment we wake up in
the morning consciously or unconsciously.
• We reason about countless issues every single day.
10/09/2015 6
Fig 8.Critical thinkers understand the importance of taking
thinking apart in order to analyze it for flaws.

Reasoning has Parts
• When we become familiar with parts of
reasoning/thinking, we are in a much better position
to recognize the flaws in our thinking.
• We can identify where does the problem exist. Such
as in this element or that element. To be able to
identify the elements of our thoughts is considered
to be an important ability in critical thinking.
• When we are reasoning, we draw conclusions
based on reasons.
10/09/2015 8
Reasoning has Parts
• On surface, reasoning seems simple, as if there are
no component structures. However, reasoning
involves the ability to engage in a set of interrelated
intellectual processes.
• In the next figure, take a look at the parts of
reasoning (Elements of Thought)
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Fig 6. The parts or elements of reasoning are always present in human
thinking.

Fig 7. If you understand the parts of thinking, you can ask the crucial questions implied by
those parts.

So What are the Elements of
Thoughts involved in thinking
• Elements of thought are interrelated. It is possible to
name them in just one sentence such as:
 Whenever you reason,
 you do so in some circumstances,
 making some inferences,
 based on some reason or information(assumption)
 using some concepts
 In trying to settle some question or solve a problem
 for some purpose, within a point of view
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Or you can state it in two
sentences
• Whenever you are reasoning,
 You are trying to accomplish some purpose,
 Within a point of view,
 Using concepts or ideas,
• You are focused on some question, issue, or
problem,
 Using information
 To come to conclusions
 Based on assumption, all of which have implications
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So, All thinking is Defined by
Eight Elements
• Thinking, then:
• Generates purpose
• Raises questions
• Uses information
• Uses concepts
• Makes inferences
• Makes assumptions
• Generates implications
• Embodies a point of view refer to page 79,80
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How the Parts of Thinking fit
together
• The elements of thinking are all presents when we
reason/ think. Like the parts of body, the elements of
thought are interdependent. One way to express
those interrelations is that
• Our purpose affects the manner in which we ask
questions
• The manner which we ask questions affects the
information we gather
• The information we gather affects the way we
interpret it
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How the Parts of Thinking fit
together
• The way we interpret information affects the way we
conceptualize it
• The way we conceptualize information affects the
assumptions we make
• The assumptions we make affect the implications
that follow from our thinking
• The implications that follow from our thinking affect
the way we see things- our point of view
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The relationship between the
Elements
• The elements of thought exist in relation to each
other and not in isolation.
• The distinction between them is not absolute;
• If our purpose is to figure out how to spend less
money
• The question will be, what can I do to ensure I
spend less money?
• The question is a reformation of the purpose
• The point of view may be ‘ viewing my spending
habits to determine how to decrease my spending’
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The relationship between the
Elements
• Since they are interrelated, sometimes you may feel
that the exercise of formulation of elements to be
redundant. The intimate overlapping of elements
may make it a bit similar too.
• But with practice, you will learn to make distinctions
clear.
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Fig 9. Humans routinely draw conclusions in situations. Those conclusions are based on assumptions that usually operate at an unconscious
level.

Fig 1. Humans routinely draw conclusions in situations. Those conclusions
are based on assumptions that usually operate at an unconscious level.

Elements of Thoughts
• By reasoning, we mean to make sense of
something by giving it some meaning in one’s mind,
(e. g., looking at the dark clouds makes you
conclude that it is going to rain)
• In saying that reasoning has a purpose, we mean
that when humans think about the world, they do not
do so randomly but, rather, in line with their goals,
desires, needs, and values. We act with some
purpose, keeping in mind some desired end as a
result of our act. Our purpose of any act is to bring
us to that desired end or goal.
10/09/2015 21
• By reasoning within a point of view, we mean that
our thinking has some comprehensive focus or
orientation. Our thinking is directed to something
from some angle. We can change either what we
focus on or the angle of our focus.
• By using concepts in reasoning, we mean the
general categories or ideas by which we interpret,
classify, or group the information we use in our
thinking. For example each subject has its own
concepts or set of ideas without which it would be
impossible to reason within that subject or field.
10/09/2015 22
• By reasoning upon some questions, issue or
problem, we mean that when we think about the
world in line with our goals, desires, needs and
values, we often face questions we must answer,
problems we must solve, and issues we must
resolve. Therefore, when we find ourselves
confronting a difficulty, it makes sense to say, “What
is the question we need to answer?” or “what is the
problem we need to solve?”, or “what is the issue
we need t resolve?”
10/09/2015 23
• By using information in our reasoning, we mean
using some set of facts, data or experiences to
support our conclusions. Whenever someone is
reasoning, it makes sense to ask, “Upon what facts
of information are your basing your reasoning?”
• Important critical thinking axioms are: Check your
facts! Check your data!
• By coming to conclusions, we mean taking
something(that we believe we know) and figuring
out something else on the basis of it.
10/09/2015 24
• By coming to conclusions, we mean taking
something(that we believe we know) and figuring
out something else on the basis of it. When we do
this, we make inferences. E.g. if you walk by me
without saying hello, I might conclude (make the
inference) that you are angry with me. If you hear
thundering, you know that it might rain or storm. In
everyday life, we make inferences(coming to
conclusions) about people, things, places, and
events of our life.
10/09/2015 25
• By reasoning based on assumptions, we mean
using whatever we take for granted as true to figure
out something else. Thus if you infer that you got a
letter from office to see the director means that
there is some academic problem, you assume that
only those who have academic problem get the
letter to see the director.
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• By implications of reasoning, we mean that which
follows from our thinking. It means that to which our
thinking is leading us. If you say to someone that
you “love” him, you imply that you are concerned
with his welfare. If you make a promise, you imply
that you intend to keep it. If you enroll in University
academic program, you imply that you are
supposed to study. We often test the credibility of
people by seeing whether they are true to
implications of their own words/decisions.
• Say what you mean and mean what you say
10/09/2015 27
Tutorial : Differentiating
Inference and Assumption
• Suggest a suitable inference for each of the
situation.
• Then identify the relevant assumption for each
inference.
• 1. You see dark clouds in the sky.
• 2. You find a man wearing shabby clothes
sleeping by the roadside.
• 3. Your phone rings in the middle of the night.
10/09/2015 28

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TOPIC 4

Discover Parts of Thinking

• At the end of the topic, the students should be

© 2006 Pearson Education, Inc.

© 2006 Pearson Education, Inc.

© 2006 Pearson Education, Inc.

© 2006 Pearson Education, Inc.

© 2006 Pearson Education, Inc.

© 2006 Pearson Education, Inc.

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