Critical Thinking: Obstacles and Solutions

Critical Thinking (CT)

• Definition: Systematic evaluation or formulation of beliefs by rational standards.

• Requires: Awareness, practice, motivation.

• Purpose: Detect reasoning errors, restrain distorting attitudes, achieve objectivity.

Obstacles to CT

1. Psychological Obstacles (How we think)

• Causes: Conformism, personality traits.

• Self-focused: Self-centered (self-interested, emotional, egocentric) thinking.

  • Solution: Monitor personal involvement, be alert to undermining, ensure all evidence is considered, avoid selective attention.

• Group-focused: Peer pressure, appeal to popularity/common practice, prejudice.

  • Solution: Proportion acceptance of a claim to the strength of its reasoning.

2. Philosophical Obstacles (What we think)

• Worldviews: Fundamental ideas forming one's philosophy of life, making objectivity difficult.

• Types of Relativism/Skepticism:

  • Subjective Relativism: Truth depends on the self. "Subjectivist fallacy" uses this to support claims.

  • Social Relativism: Truth is relative to societies. "Egalitarianism" asserts equality of all societal beliefs.

  • Philosophical Skepticism: We know little or nothing at all. Skeptics raise doubts about knowledge.

Solutions to Obstacles

• Overcome self-interested thinking.

• Critique both subjective and social relativism.

• Understand meanings clearly.