Critical Thinking
The term Critical Thinking , dt. Critical thinking refers reasonable reflective thinking, dt. Reasonable reflective thinking. The orientation of the thinking of laypeople to the methodological criteria of science is particularly important. This refers to laypeople especially in their role as citizens in a knowledge society .
Concept and method
The term comes from the Anglo-Saxon education system and includes both independent didactic content (e.g. systematic association) and specialist working methods, from elementary school to university graduation. The training model Reflection, Reasons, Alternatives (RRA) became known:
- Avoid quick judgments, don't accept every first idea that comes into your head or what is presented in the media. First think about it.
- Question about: How do you know? What is the reason for that? What is your source of information?
- Search specifically for alternative hypotheses, explanations and causes, for alternative plans and solutions.
According to Peter Facione, critical thinking encompasses “conscious, self-regulating judgment formation that includes interpretation, analysis, evaluation and conclusion”. Above all, it is important to be able to research independently and without cognitive distortion ( bias ), i.e. without preferring information that corresponds to one's own opinion ( confirmation bias ) and without devaluing opposing positions ( myside bias ).
background
In critical thinking, the difference between scientists and laypeople becomes fluid. The idea of the "men as scientists" is based on the assumption that people, in their effort to avoid errors, spontaneously follow the same paths of thought as scientists, only less elaborated. Conversely, scientific results are, so to speak, coagulated scientific thinking that has created them, but to that extent also limited. One of the godfathers of the idea is John Dewey , who sees the role of the citizen in his ability to participate critically in his book "Democracy and Education".
literature
- Foundation for Critical Thinking: German Guide at criticalthinking.org (PDF) .
- Bernhard Kraak: Education for critical thinking . In: Pedagogical Action. Issue 1 2000.
- Hermann Astleitner: Critical thinking: basic qualification for teachers and trainers . Innsbruck: Studien Verlag 1998.
- Aurelio Peiccei [Ed.]: The human dilemma, future and learning. Report for the Club of Rome . Vienna: Molden 1979. ISBN 978-3217010406 .
Web links
- David Hitchcock: Critical Thinking. In: Edward N. Zalta (Ed.): Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy . (English)
- German-language podcasts on the topic:
Individual evidence
- ^ Robert H. Ennis: The Nature of Critical Thinking. University of Illinois, accessed July 24, 2018 .
- ↑ Definition in Lexicon online for psychology and pedagogy ( memento of March 26, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on July 2, 2014.
- ^ Peter A. Facione: Critical Thinking: A Statement of Expert Consensus for Purposes of Educational Assessment and Instruction. Santa Clara University 1990 Download (PDF) ( Memento from February 1, 2017 in the Internet Archive )