Critical Thinking
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Critical Thinking
How it affects our everyday lives
Critical Thinking, upon hearing the word critical, most people hear only the negative intonations of the word, they do not bother to research further in order to find the true meaning of the term. This paper will attempt to follow the history of Critical Thinking, and then explain to you what it means to us all on a daily basis.
Let us begin with the definition of Critical Thinking.
Critical thinking means correct thinking in the pursuit of relevant and reliable knowledge about the world. Another way to describe it is reasonable, reflective, responsible, and skillful thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe or do. (An introduction to Critical Thinking)
There seems to be some argument over the exact origin of Critical Thinking. There are claims that it was Socrates who first came up with the idea, while still others in history that is more recent lay claim to the idea. Socrates concept was based on asking deep questions that probe deeply into thinking before we accept ideas as worthy of belief. (A brief history of the idea of Critical Thinking) The Critical Thinking movement on the other hand is said to have been begun by John Dewey from 1910 to 1939, and His use of the terms "reflective thinking" and inquiry" which he based on the scientific method. (History and Analysis of Critical Thinking) Both methods rely on delving deeper into superficial thoughts in order to find the true meaning of a statement or fact...