The Importance of Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is a term referring to a collection of skills and intellectual temperaments used in identifying, analyzing and evaluating arguments and claims in order to generate bias free intelligent decisions.

 In this evaluation, I have found that among the main points in chapter one involves the discussion of intellectual archetypes, which include clarity, relevance, logical correctness, precision, completeness, accuracy, consistency and fairness. In addition, the importance of critical thinking takes the center stage in the chapter, where it is attributed to numerous roles. Some of the include improving student’s academic performance, career excellence in workplaces as well as reducing individuals self-generated mistakes through critical analysis of distinct ideas. The other main point highlighted in this chapter involves the barriers of critical thinking. Some of them include egocentrism, sociocentric thinking, rationalization, relativistic thinking as well as unwarranted assumptions. Finally, the features of critical thinkers are highlighted in this chapter. Some of them include honesty and intellectual humility, intellectual courage, intellectual perseverance, disciplined thinking, love of truth, open-mindedness, precision as well as accuracy (Bassham, Irwin and Nardone).

Chapter two highlights on the arguments of critical thinking. They include premises and conclusions. Premises are assertions presented as evidence in an argument while conclusion are assertions in which premises intend to proof in an argument. Indicator words offer clues to premises or conclusions hence ensuring the two are precise and clear. Premise and conclusion indicators signals that either premises or conclusions are being offered. The chapter differentiates arguments from explanations, illustrations, statements, reports as well as unsupported assertions.

References

Bassham, Gregory, et al. “Introduction to Critical Thinking.” Bassham, Gregory, et al. Critical Thinking: A Students Introduction. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. 1-29. Document.