Foundation of Critical Thinking

Question 1

INTELLECTUAL STANDARDS

Answer 1

1) Be Clear 2) Be Accurate 3) Be Relevant

4) Be Logical 5) Be Fair

Question 2

1) Be clear

Answer 2

Can you state what you mean? Can you give examples?
Don’t confuse people. We are confused when we are not clear. We are clear when we understand what we are saying, what we are hearing or what we are writing .
Explain it again
Give examples
Restate the question
Keep trying

Question 3

2) Be accurate

Answer 3

Are you sure its true?
Make sure it is true. When we say what is true or correct we are accurate. When we are not sure if something is true, we check to see if it is.

How can we check to see if this is true?
Is it really a fact?

Question 4

3) Be relevant

Answer 4

Is it related to what we are thinking about?
Make sure you stay on track. Something is relevant when it relates directly to the problem you are trying to solve, the question you are trying to answer, whatever you are talking about or writing about.

How does is relate to the problem or question?

Question 5

4) Be logical

Answer 5

Does it all fit together?
Can the pieces fit together better?
How did you come to that conclusion?

Question 6

5) Be fair

Answer 6

Did you consider how your behaviour will make others feel?
Are you thinking about others?
Am i being selfish?
Am i considering others?

Question 7

PARTS OF THINKING

Answer 7

We take our thinking apart to find problems.

1) Purpose 2) Questions 3) Information
4) Inferences 5) Concepts 6) Assumptions
7) Implications 8) Points of View

Question 8

1) Purpose

Answer 8

What is my/our/his/her/ etc’s purpose?

What are I/they trying to accomplish or make happen?

Question 9

2) Question

Answer 9

State the question. The question lays out the problem and guides our thinking. What question am I/we trying to answer. Is my question clear or should I be asking a different question?

Question 10

3) Information

Answer 10

Gather the information:
Facts
Evidence
Experiences

What info do I need to answer this question?
Is my info accurate?
Is it relevant to my/the purpose?

Question 11

4) Inferences

Answer 11

Watch your inferences. Inferences are conclusions you come to, what the mind does to figure something out.
What conclusions am i coming to?
Are there other conclusions i should should consider?
Is my/ this other person’s inference logical?

Question 12

5) Concepts

Answer 12

Clarify your concepts. Concepts are IDEAS you use in thinking to understand what is going on.
What is the main idea?
Is there a problem with this idea?
What idea am I using in my thinking?
Is this idea causing problems for me or others?

Question 13

6) Assumptions

Answer 13

Check your assumptions. Assumptions are beliefs you take for granted. Usually you don’t question them, but you should.
What am I taking for granted?
What is being assumed?

Question 14

7) Point of View

Answer 14

Understand your point of view. What you are looking at and the way you are seeing it.
How am I looking at this situation?
What am I looking at and how am I seeing it?
Is there another reasonable way to look at this situation?

Question 15

8) Implications

Answer 15

Think through the implications. Implications are things that might happen if you decide to do something. Consequences are things that do happen when you act.
What might happen if I do this? Or if I don’t do it?
What happened because of this decision?
What are the implications?

Question 16

INTELLECTUAL VIRTUES

Answer 16

Qualities of mind that help us to think & learn.

1) Integrity 2) Independence 3) Perseverance
4) Empathy 5) Humility 6) Courage

Question 17

1) Intellectual Integrity

Answer 17

I respect others as much as myself.

Question 18

2) Intellectual Independence

Answer 18

I try to do my own thinking. I try to think for myself.

Question 19

3) Intellectual Perseverance

Answer 19

“I keep trying to figure things out!” Sticking to a problem is always better than giving up. “I tell myself I can, i am not afraid to work hard in my mind.”

Question 20

4) Intellectual Empathy

Answer 20

Trying to understand another person’s thinking. “Whenever I disagree with people, I try to see things the way they do. Then I often find, there are some things I am right about and somethings they are right about.”

Question 21

5) Intellectual Humility

Answer 21

“I don’t know Everything.” It’s OK to admit you don’t know something. Some people think they know something they really don’t.
How do you/ I know that?

Question 22

6) Intellectual Courage

Answer 22

I speak up for what i think is right even if it is not popular among my friends. I should be courteous but I am not afraid to disagree.