Title: The Disposition Toward Critical Thinking
Headings: The Disposition Toward Critical Thinking
The Disposition Toward Critical Thinking
Content: Critical thinking came before schooling was ever invented, it lies at the very roots of civilization. It is a corner stone in the journey human kind is taking from beastly savagery to global sensitivity. Consider what life would be like without the things on this list and we think you will understand. The approaches to life and living which characterize critical thinking include: inquisitiveness with regard to a wide range of issues,
concern to become and remain well-informed,
alertness to opportunities to use critical thinking,
trust in the processes of reasoned inquiry,
self-confidence in one*s own abilities to reason,
open-mindedness regarding divergent world views,
flexibility in considering alternatives and opinions
understanding of the opinions of other people,
fair-mindedness in appraising reasoning,
honesty in facing one*s own biases, prejudices, stereotypes, or egocentric tendencies,
prudence in suspending, making or altering judgments,
willingness to reconsider and revise views where honest reflection suggests that change is warranted. What would someone be like who lacked those dispositions? It might be someone who does not care about much of anything, is not interested in the facts, prefers not to think, mistrusts reasoning as a way of finding things out or solving problems, holds his or her own reasoning abilities in low esteem, is close-minded, inflexible, insensitive, can*t understand what others think, is unfair when it comes to judging the quality of arguments, denies his or her own biases, jumps to conclusions or delays too long in making judgments, and never is willing to reconsider an opinion. Not someone prudent people would want to elect to public office or to ask to manage their investments! The experts went beyond approaches to life and living in general to emphasize that good critical thinkers can also be described in terms of how they approach specific issues, questions, or problems. The experts said you would find these sorts of characteristics: