3. When did the humans begin to realize what was critical thinking and what wasn’t? As in what led them to categorize some thinking as critical and some as non-critical?
CT is ’probably’ about as old as 2,500 years dating back to the recorded time of Socrates. In the Paul & Edler Book, there is a full chapter dedicated to Socratic thinking. This type of thinking may be called the first ever formal way of thinking or the first ever reflective type of thinking in history. In fact some schools, colleges & universities across the world do still teach Socratic thinking, & or its logic. However, because the world tends to move in tandem with the times & its needs, other types of thinking (such as CT) have emerged to take more eminence, relevance, importance & use.
Thinking (s) (or thinking about thinking) has seen some significant ‘movements’ over time which have shaped & characterized its nature, including the fundamental & powerful (F&P) concepts (See Nosich Book) it embodies. View the following links to get a better or a more detailed sense of the history of thinking of which critical thinking is an important type/genre. As an aside, note that at some point we may cursorily get into other types of thinking (creative, lateral, abstract, dialogical dialectical, systems, integral, integrative, etc.). But our focus in this course will remain on critical thinking.
http://www.criticalthinking.org/aboutCT/briefHistoryCT.cfm
http://www.criticalthinking.org/articles/documenting-history.cfm
http://www.criticalthinking.org/aboutCT/ourConceptCT.cfm
Coming to second part of this question: Generally speaking, the more complex the world becomes – that is, the more difficult and advanced, and or multi-logical the nature of its problems becomes – then, the greater the need for critical thinking & for other types of thinking genre as well. Another reason for “categorizing” (& or classifying) what is critical thinking & what is not, is to provide clarity & to chart scope. However, understanding & unraveling complexity is not the only objective of becoming a critical thinker.
We will get into a fuller range of the objectives of CT in the context of another FAQ.
Please feel free to comment, offer obervations & ask further questions on the answer to this FAQ.
Regards,
Faheem
Sorry for intruding but I think critical thinking seems to be lacking by szabistians on this blog. This is because questions, observations, suggestions or anti-thesis are absent on the comment form of posts. I guess critical thinking develops by practicing and not just reading.
ReplyDeleteYes that's partially right; CT does develop by practice, but also through reading. Both writing & reading are the main products of critical thinking.
ReplyDeleteThe questions I' putting up here with teh answers are actually those that ahve been raised by the stduents in my class at SZABIST. I'm assumning the class is still reflecting on what they have to might have to say to my answers.
Regards,
Faheem
I understand that the Socratic method is not of much relevance when compared to other types of thinking that have developed, however, can we read and study Plato's socratic dialogs in class? or is it a bad idea to teach critical thinking by assigning Plato's dialogs?
ReplyDeleteTooba,
ReplyDeleteOf course we can do that. But I really want to prioritize the model first. The model provides a strong basis/anchor for getting into Dialogue 'processes' and Socratic thinking. The Paul And Elder text book has a chapter on Socratic Thinking which is basic but a reasonably solid introduction to the method. Check it out.
'If all goes well', we'll be offering Dialogical Thnking and Processes next term. In that course we'll formally be taking up Socrates, Plato, Buber, Bohm, Isaacs, Scharmer, et al.Similarly, we are hopeful of offering Creative Thinking & other genre of thinking.
Regards,
Faheem