Is the ability to 'think critically' the preserve of the 'intelligent'?

Forums: Critical Thinking, School, Education, Philosophy, Debate
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In a discussion over dinner a couple of weeks ago, I was talking about how I wouldn't mind if I wound up being a critical thinking tutor at GCSE (if they do it at GCSE) or A level. The main reason for this being, that I see it as an issue that's been pertinent with quite a while, and I believe, now technological advances have allowed us to gain access to a diverse range of cultures, belief systems and value systems, the ability to think critically and understand different perspectives is paramount. (Esp. in regards to 'terrorism' etc. although I am fully aware these issues have always been around).

I obviously do recognise the problem that if we're teaching some subjects as basically axiomatic at this high-school level (e.g. maths etc.) then the encouragement of critical thinking may be 'confusing' for some students or appear contradictory, yet am I correct in thinking that this kind of encouragement WOULD be beneficial, and that this form of 'critical' intelligence is not entirely the preserve of the intelligent, (to be fully nurtured later in a university setting)?
-pq-

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welllllllll, i think i'm generally pretty critical of most things

sooooooooo

i must be a genius

yeah me Cool

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@The Pentacle Queen,

Critical thinking is honed by intelligence.

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@rosborne979,

I think you may have mis-typed your thought. Did you mean?

Quote:

Intelligence is honed by critical thinking.

That makes more sense to me.

1 Reply

@maporsche,

maporsche wrote:

I think you may have mis-typed your thought. Did you mean?

Quote:
Intelligence is honed by critical thinking.

That makes more sense to me.

No. Intelligence is innate. Critical thinking is learned.

I meant it exactly the way I wrote it. Smile

But thanks for checking, I knew it was going to seem counter intuitive to some people.

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@The Pentacle Queen,

Critical thinking was taught at the high school level in Canada until perhaps 15 - 20 years ago. Most often in one of the social sciences programs, such as history.

I'd be pleased if there was room for that type of education again. Most school boards now would not provide funding for it.

Truthfully, it is boring to speak with a certain generation that seems to be missing the ability to think/debate broadly. I'd much sooner talk to a 70 year old than a 30 year old. The 70 year old will more often have a broader, better education and a much wider range of interests - and will have a better ability to defend his/her positions.

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@ehBeth,

ehBeth wrote:

Critical thinking was taught at the high school level in Canada until perhaps 15 - 20 years ago. Most often in one of the social sciences programs, such as history.

really

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@The Pentacle Queen,

In a democracy, the ability to apply critical thinking seems essential; certainly many of the founders of democratic governments did not think it was beyond the grasp of a large majority of citizens, at least in a basic sense. Intellectual subtlety is not required to recognise informal fallacies, nor to have a general understanding of logic, nor to be able to ask questions about credibility of sources.
Moreover, with perhaps the exception of certain parts of logic, many critical techniques can be taught by analysis of everyday examples; critical thinking begins at a practical level common to every individual.

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@The Pentacle Queen,

The Pentacle Queen wrote:

am I correct in thinking ... that this form of 'critical' intelligence is not entirely the preserve of the intelligent, (to be fully nurtured later in a university setting)?
-pq-

I think that conflating intelligence with academic qualification is problematic.

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Pentacle Queen wrote:

the ability to think critically and understand different perspectives is paramount. (Esp. in regards to 'terrorism' etc. although I am fully aware these issues have always been around)

Most people are prone to thinking of life and human reactions this way, when the reality is, the vast majority of our decisions have underlying emotions driving them.

Critical thinking is necessary to many functions (especially for things like administration, logical problem solving etc) but in regards to terrorism, that involves people, who have a '3rd dimension' (ie emotions) and are rather more complex than A+B=C

Quote:

Intelligence is honed by critical thinking...
No. Intelligence is innate. Critical thinking is learned.

It's both. Critical thinking affects intelligence, and intelligence affects critical thinking. This is the same for all things in life - practice affects talent, talent affects practice; mind affects body/body affects mind etc.

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Critical thinking is the application of intelligence to abstract issues, and philosophizing is the application of critical thinking to the kinds of abstract problems known as philosophical problems. That is why Wittgenstein wrote that philosophy is an activity, not a theory. Philosophy is something you do, not something you state.

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@The Pentacle Queen,

So you believe that thinking is different from thinking, and you believe that you understand the meaning of your own words?
Over 2500 years ago, a distinction was made between the appearance of thought and the reality. Yet the principles of grammar it is based on, no one in history has developed.
I would assume that one should start with the question, "How does one preserve truth in language?"

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@The Pentacle Queen,

http://able2know.org/topic/160991-1

welcome to my world
the title is actually, "children deprived of critical thinking." As the discussion goes on this becomes more apparent and appropriate.

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@NoOne phil,

Though I believe you have much wisdom to share, I'm not a fan of putting words in people's mouth "So you believe thinking is different from thinking," then ridiculing them, "...and you believe that you understand the meaning of your own words" and then you force the discussion off the topic towards a genre/idea you are more comfortable with, "How does one preserve truth in language?" ...
i like what you have to say, but if you don't have anything to contribute, you don't HAVE TO say something...

though you have a point, the discussion topic is, in a gist, "should critical thinking be a criteria to be taught?"
rather than the epistemological, metaphysical approach of what thinking, truth and language is, as interesting as they may be...

-55

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I wonder who has the most to lose by instruction in critical thinking at the level of common education, the religious community or the political power base?

I can imagine neither group to be enthusiastic about putting that kind of ability in the minds of the great mass of humanity.

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@The Pentacle Queen,

I'm sorry to sound harsh and condemming but my intention is objectiveness.

PQ I don't think you are suited for critical thinking, specially since you lack greater logic, pcycology, abstract thinking ..etc, your shortcoming are evident in following links:
http://able2know.org/topic/132463-1
http://able2know.org/topic/163643-1

Also other of your posts/topics you lack understand of scientific answers, but excusivly relate to only "feel good answers".

If you however should hvae deluded me and have a hidden intellect, then try solve this http://able2know.org/topic/152868-1

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Is the ability to 'think critically' the preserve of the 'intelligent'?

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