CogKnoSys

Knowledge you can walk. Read the idea below, then step up to the general, across to peers or down to the specific.

Mental

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is carefully weighing facts, evidence and arguments to reach sound conclusions and good choices.

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The idea

Critical thinking is the careful process of examining facts, evidence, observations and arguments to reach sound conclusions or make informed choices. Its goal is to form a judgment through reasoning that is rational, skeptical and unbiased. A critical thinker does not accept a claim just because it sounds right.

You spot the hidden assumptions behind an idea, give reasons for your own ideas and actions, and test those reasons against other points of view. You also ask whether the reasons make sense and what might happen as a result. How well someone thinks critically also depends on how much they know about the topic.

Critical thinking does not come naturally; it has to be practiced on purpose. The philosopher Richard W. Paul held that it is a skill that can be learned and trained. Good habits include directing, disciplining, checking and correcting your own thinking. It also means working to overcome egocentrism, which is seeing only from your own view, and sociocentrism, which is seeing only from your own group's view. These habits lead to clearer communication and better problem solving.

Check yourself

Question 1 of 2

What did John Dewey call critical thinking?

Pick one. The first pick counts.

Composition

what it's made of

  • Identifying assumptions — Spotting the unstated beliefs an argument rests on.
  • Giving reasons — Backing up ideas and actions with justifications.
  • Comparing perspectives — Testing reasons against other points of view.
  • Weighing consequences — Asking whether a conclusion is rational and what it would lead to.
  • Self-correction — Monitoring and fixing your own thinking.

Connection

how it relates

Under Logic and Reasoning

Cause and effect

  1. Language and Communicationstrength 70 of 100

    Critical thinking leads to clearer, more effective communication.

Related

  1. Memory and Learningstrength 50 of 100

    Critical thinking is a skill that can be learned and trained, and it works better the more a person knows.

  2. Emotions and Feelingsstrength 50 of 100

    Strong feelings can bias judgment, so critical thinkers check whether emotion is steering a conclusion.

Change

how and why it evolves

Past
The exact term critical thinking first appeared in 1815, in the British literary journal The Critical Review. By the early 20th century, its meaning had grown to cover a valued general thinking skill. The American philosopher John Dewey used the phrase reflective thinking for it.
Now
Today critical thinking is widely treated as a skill that schools can teach and students can practice.
Next
As more information comes from social media and AI tools, the ability to check sources and weigh evidence will likely matter even more.

Knowledge you can walk. Read the idea, then step up, across or down.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is carefully weighing facts, evidence and arguments to reach sound conclusions and good choices.

Learn, discuss, create, buy or invest

The idea

Critical thinking is the careful process of examining facts, evidence, observations and arguments to reach sound conclusions or make informed choices. Its goal is to form a judgment through reasoning that is rational, skeptical and unbiased. A critical thinker does not accept a claim just because it sounds right.

You spot the hidden assumptions behind an idea, give reasons for your own ideas and actions, and test those reasons against other points of view. You also ask whether the reasons make sense and what might happen as a result. How well someone thinks critically also depends on how much they know about the topic.

Critical thinking does not come naturally; it has to be practiced on purpose. The philosopher Richard W. Paul held that it is a skill that can be learned and trained. Good habits include directing, disciplining, checking and correcting your own thinking. It also means working to overcome egocentrism, which is seeing only from your own view, and sociocentrism, which is seeing only from your own group's view. These habits lead to clearer communication and better problem solving.

Check yourself

2 quick questions, instant feedback.