Transcript Document 7255373

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Is Critical Thinking Enough
to Decide Questions Such as Those
Posed in Enough?
Applying a Schema of
Critical Wisdom
For Deciding the “Big Questions”
Jim Fahey
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Department of Cognitive Science
Guess What?
• Most of you who are in this room tonight
are taking a First Year Studies Course.
• What’s that?
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FIRST YEAR STUDIES
WHEEL DIAGRAM
PERSONAL ATTENTION
WRITING & SPEAKING
Sections of 25 students
maximum with ample
opportunity for one-to-one
Student-Instructor Interaction.
Involve extensive practice in
Writing, Oral Presentation and
expression via various forms of
cutting-edge technology.
TEAMWORK
Participation in Group Projects of both
a theoretical and practidal nature
that offer opportunities for developing
leadership skills and entrepreneurial
applications at both
Rensselaer and Beyond.
DIVERSITY
Aim to Foster an Appreciation for a
Diversity of Outlooks at a deep and
fundamental level and encourage
an examination of the Values
those outlooks imply.
CRITICAL WISDOM
Aim to foster the general ability
to examine fundamental issues
in a clear, comprehensive and
critical fashion. Moreover, develop
the ability to distinguish and
evaluate arguments and evidence,
relate the knowledge gained
through such endeavors to
previous knowledge, develop
research and reading skills,
and relate theoretical
ideas to everyday
experience.
TECHNOLOGY
Involve both the Use and Study
of Technology as it relates to
both the Humanities and
Social Sciences and
the World at Large.
COMMUNITY
Aim to Foster a Love of Learning and
Sense of Community among First Year
Students through activities such as the
First Year Studies Lecture Series and
Class-Wide Community Service Projects.
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The Center of the Wheel …
• CRITICAL WISDOM
– But formerly the center was Critical Thinking...
– What gives?
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How does critical wisdom relate to
the more traditional critical
thinking?
• Largely Uninformative Answer – Critical
Wisdom is a form of thinking that employs
standard critical thinking but goes beyond it.
• Both critical thinking and critical wisdom,
however, refer to techniques that we employ in the
purposive activity of problem solving. Moreover,
because these problem solving activities greatly
overlap, it is helpful to study critical thinking in
an effort to become clear about critical wisdom.
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Problem Solving
Critical
Thinking
Critical
Wisdom
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Critical Thinking (in the broad sense):
What is it?
• Critical Thinking: A Statement of Expert
Consensus for Purposes of Educational
Assessment and Instruction.
– This is the title of the research report published in 1990
analyzing a two year research program conducted by
Peter Facione, et. al. and sponsored by the American
Philosophical Association. As outlined in his Critical
Thinking: What It Is and Why It Counts this research
was based on the discussions of a panel of 46 men and
women from the USA and Canada, from many different
scholarly disciplines, each of whom was a recognized
authority on critical thinking.
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Critical Thinking: What is it?
• This “46 experts” divided critical thinking into
two classes of features:
• 1. Six Cognitive Skills:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Interpretation
Analysis
Inference
Evaluation
Explanation
Self-Regulation
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CRITICAL THINKING
Interpretation
Evaluation
Self-Regulation
Analysis
Explanation
Inference
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Critical Thinking: What is it?
• Interpretation –
– Categorizing available information in a manner that is appropriate
to the problem at issue;
– Decoding the significance (or irrelevancy) of the information at
hand;
– Clarifying the meaning of the information presented.
• Analysis –
– Examining ideas in an effort to make distinctions that will help to
clarify the problem;
– Identifying and Analyzing arguments that are employed in an effort
to deal with the problem. What is the main argument? What
assumptions are made?
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CRITICAL THINKING
Interpretation
Evaluation
Self-Regulation
Analysis
Explanation
Inference
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Critical Thinking: What is it?
• Evaluation –
– Assessing claims – Is there good reason to believe that the
assumptions made are true? … that the “expert knows his/her
stuff?
– Assessing arguments – Are the arguments cogent? Are they strong
or weak? If appropriate, does the conclusion “follow from” the
premises? That is, is the argument a valid deductive argument?
• Explanation –
– Stating results in a connected fashion that ties the results to an
appropriate process of inference. That is, giving appropriate
arguments that reveal why the results are to be expected.
– Justifying procedures that produce the information necessary to
arrive at the end results.
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CRITICAL THINKING
Interpretation
Evaluation
Self-Regulation
Analysis
Explanation
Inference
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Critical Thinking: What is it?
• Self-Regulation –
– Self examination – the self-referential employment of critical
thinking in an effort to monitor one’s attempts to “think critically.”
– Self correction – correct one’s mistaken CT attempts
• Inference –
– Querying evidence – Does the information given really lend
support to the stated conclusion?
– Conjecturing alternatives – Might the information support an
alternative conclusion equally well?
– Drawing conclusions – What conclusions may I reasonably infer
from the given information?
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Critical Thinking: What is it?
• The “46 Experts’” 2nd Class of Critical Thinking Features:
• 2. Seven Dispositional or “Action Traits:”
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Inquisitive
Systematic
Open-Minded
Analytical
Judicious
Truth Seeking
Confident in Reasoning
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CRITICAL THINKING
Inquisitive
Interpretation
Analysis
Analytical
Judicious
Evaluation
Explanation
Open-Minded
Systematic
Self-Regulation
Truth Seeking
Inference
Confident
in Reasoning
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Is Critical Thinking All You Need to
Become a “Good Thinker?”
Master
Thinker
Advanced
Thinker
Practicing Thinker
Beginning Thinker
Challenged Thinker
Unreflective Thinker
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A Famous Critical Thinker?
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Beyond Critical Thinking:
Critical Wisdom -- What Is It?
• At least some members of Rensselaer’s First Year
Studies Program advocate that we add to the “Six
Cognitive Skills” and “Seven Action Traits” of
Critical Thinking
the
Six Wisdom Skills & Three Moral Action Traits
of
• Critical Wisdom
• Six Wisdom Skills:
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CRITICAL WISDOM
Inquisitive
WISDOM
Imagines & Considers Many
Values-Feelings-Perspectives
Interpretation
Analysis
Analytical
Judicious
Evaluation
Explanation
Open-Minded
Systematic
Self-Regulation
Truth Seeking
Inference
Confident
in Reasoning
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Six Wisdom Skills
• Imagine & Consider Many
Values-Feelings-Perspectives -– A process of “wise problem solving” requires
that one be able to imaginatively consider the
problem from the standpoints of many of those
who will be most greatly affected by the course
of action that is chosen.
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CRITICAL WISDOM
Inquisitive
WISDOM
Imagines & Considers Many
Values-Feelings-Perspectives
Interpretation
Analysis
WISDOM
Relates Local to Global,
Immediate to Long-term
Judicious
Evaluation
Analytical
Explanation
Open-Minded
Systematic
Self-Regulation
Truth Seeking
Inference
Confident
in Reasoning
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Six Wisdom Skills
• Relate Local to Global,
Immediate to Long-term -– A process of “wise problem solving” requires
that one consider not only the immediate and
local affects of the solution chosen but also the
“ripple effects” to which the solution might
give rise.
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CRITICAL WISDOM
Inquisitive
WISDOM
Imagines & Considers Many
Values-Feelings-Perspectives
Interpretation
WISDOM
Relates Local to Global,
Immediate to Long-term
Judicious
Evaluation
Analysis
WISDOM
Requires Critical Reflection
on One's Own
Values-Feelings-Perspectives
Analytical
Explanation
Open-Minded
Systematic
Self-Regulation
Truth Seeking
Inference
Confident
in Reasoning
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Six Wisdom Skills
• Engage in Critical Reflection Regarding
One’s Own Values-Feelings-Perspectives –
– A process of “wise problem solving” requires
that one be willing to reflect on one’s own
values-feelings-perspectives and, if necessary,
change them in light of the evidence one
acquires.
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CRITICAL WISDOM
Inquisitive
WISDOM
Imagines & Considers Many
Values-Feelings-Perspectives
Interpretation
WISDOM
Relates Local to Global,
Immediate to Long-term
Judicious
Evaluation
Analysis
WISDOM
Requires Critical Reflection
on One's Own
Values-Feelings-Perspectives
Analytical
WISDOM
Acknowledges
the Imperfections
Explanation
of Both
Self & Others
Open-Minded
Systematic
Self-Regulation
Truth Seeking
Inference
Confident
in Reasoning
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Six Wisdom Skills
• Acknowledge the Imperfections of
Both Self & Others -– A process of “wise problem solving” requires that one
understand that it is possible that “evidence” can lead
both oneself and others astray and, moreover, that “new
evidence” can controvert old. Thus a process of “wise
problem solving” encourages a certain measure of
humility and tolerance towards those with whom one
disagrees -- not always, but in many instances.
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CRITICAL WISDOM
Inquisitive
WISDOM
Imagines & Considers Many
Values-Feelings-Perspectives
Interpretation
WISDOM
Relates Local to Global,
Immediate to Long-term
Judicious
Evaluation
Analysis
WISDOM
Requires Critical Reflection
on One's Own
Values-Feelings-Perspectives
WISDOM
Acknowledges
the Imperfections
Explanation
of Both
Self & Others
WISDOM
Prioritizes What Is Important in
Relating Self to
Society, Environment & the World
Open-Minded
Self-Regulation
Truth Seeking
Analytical
Systematic
Inference
Confident
in Reasoning
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Six Wisdom Skills
• Prioritize What Is Important in Relating
Self to Society, Environment & the World –
– A process of “wise problem solving” requires that one
comes to understand that since “problem solving does
not take place in a vacuum,” the wise solutions to
problems often have many effects -- some good some
bad. Having a “wise prioritization” of these outcomes
in mind is thus an important aspect of “wise problem
solving.” Moreover, arriving at such a “wise
prioritization” should be a matter of ‘wise problem
solving” in its own right.
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CRITICAL WISDOM
Inquisitive
WISDOM
Imagines & Considers Many
Values-Feelings-Perspectives
Interpretation
WISDOM
Relates Local to Global,
Immediate to Long-term
Judicious
Evaluation
Analysis
WISDOM
Requires Critical Reflection
on One's Own
Values-Feelings-Perspectives
WISDOM
Acknowledges
the Imperfections
Explanation
of Both
Self & Others
WISDOM
Prioritizes What Is Important in
Relating Self to
Society, Environment & the World
Open-Minded
Self-Regulation
Systematic
Inference
WISDOM
Aims At
Worthwhile Living
Truth Seeking
Analytical
Confident
in Reasoning
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Six Wisdom Skills
• Aim at Worthwhile Living -– A process of “wise problem solving” always has as its
ultimate aim that of “worthwhile living.” What does
this come to? We analyze ‘worthwhile’ as implying
that something is
• Being worth the time spent; of sufficient value to the effort -(Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 5th ed.)
– Moreover, we require that if something is worthwhile, it
is worthwhile in the best sense. That is, it is both “good
for its consequences” and “good for its own sake.”
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Three Moral Action Traits
• Wise problem solvers are disposed to act:
• Caringly:
• Empathetically:
• Morally
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CRITICAL WISDOM
Inquisitive
Caring
Empathetic
WISDOM
Imagines & Considers Many
Values-Feelings-Perspectives
Interpretation
WISDOM
Relates Local to Global,
Immediate to Long-term
Judicious
Evaluation
Analysis
WISDOM
Requires Critical Reflection
on One's Own
Values-Feelings-Perspectives
WISDOM
Acknowledges
the Imperfections
Explanation
of Both
Self & Others
WISDOM
Prioritizes What Is Important in
Relating Self to
Society, Environment & the World
Open-Minded
Analytical
Self-Regulation
Systematic
Inference
WISDOM
Aims At
Worthwhile Living
Confident
in Reasoning
Truth Seeking
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Moral
Enough?
• Bill McKibben writes:
– We need to do an unlikely thing: we need to
survey the world we now inhabit and proclaim
it good. Good enough. Not in every detail;
there are a thousand improvements,
technological and cultural, that we can and
should still make. But good enough in its
outlines, in its essentials. … Enough
intelligence. Enough capability. Enough.
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Enough?
• But what we have to decide is whether
saying Enough is a Wise.
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