Philosophy
I think a good case can be made that becoming a critical thinker is analogous to learning a new language: as you start to develop this set of skills, you start seeing the world in new and interesting ways, expanding your intellectual horizon in unexpected and often delightful ways.
Of course, it goes without saying that being a critical thinker gives you tremendously powerful tools of intellectual self-defense against parties whose interests are not aligned with yours (and who might even want to manipulate and exploit you for the sake of their interests), but if I had to pick just one advantage of critical thinking, it would have to be the fact that it gives you the freedom to really be not only your own person but an even better and more thoughtful version of yourself.
Of course, all the intelligence in the world won't make up for ignorance or an absence of the values of honesty and open-mindedness... so let's roll up our sleeves and get to work :)
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- How Early Should We Teach Philosophy?
I'm writing up a piece with the middle school teacher who invited me into her classroom for the last two years -- last year for a weekly logic/critical thinking module and this year's focusing on ethics and metaphysics. It has me thinking about...
- Thinking Blog Award
Aspazia tapped me with this meme that's been circulating -- the Thinking Blog Award. I usually don't do these, but I do think there are some smart lesser known blogs I would love to see get a wider readership. (hint: it also helps to get someone...
- The Fact That We Didn't Find Any Means They Probably Were There
David Corn on Christopher Hitchens: "When he did address the issue of the absent WMDs in Iraq, he took a strange turn. 'Doesn't anything ever strike you as odd," he said, "about the figure of zero for [WMD] deposits found in Iraq? ... Isn't...
- Michael Shermer - The Baloney Detection Kit
In this blog we have featured previously a basic intro to logic and argumentation, a primer on the importance of critical thinking, a fun intro to informal logical fallacies, and many more relevant entries. And yet the main point cannot be emphasized...
- Why Major In Philosophy
For some of us, the choice of majoring in philosophy is not really much of a choice; it's an inescapable fact of reality because we are compelled by the power of its questions; we are enthralled by the conceptual mysteries it presents; we're mesmerized...
Philosophy
The Importance of Critical Thinking
I think a good case can be made that becoming a critical thinker is analogous to learning a new language: as you start to develop this set of skills, you start seeing the world in new and interesting ways, expanding your intellectual horizon in unexpected and often delightful ways.Of course, it goes without saying that being a critical thinker gives you tremendously powerful tools of intellectual self-defense against parties whose interests are not aligned with yours (and who might even want to manipulate and exploit you for the sake of their interests), but if I had to pick just one advantage of critical thinking, it would have to be the fact that it gives you the freedom to really be not only your own person but an even better and more thoughtful version of yourself.
Of course, all the intelligence in the world won't make up for ignorance or an absence of the values of honesty and open-mindedness... so let's roll up our sleeves and get to work :)
.
- How Early Should We Teach Philosophy?
I'm writing up a piece with the middle school teacher who invited me into her classroom for the last two years -- last year for a weekly logic/critical thinking module and this year's focusing on ethics and metaphysics. It has me thinking about...
- Thinking Blog Award
Aspazia tapped me with this meme that's been circulating -- the Thinking Blog Award. I usually don't do these, but I do think there are some smart lesser known blogs I would love to see get a wider readership. (hint: it also helps to get someone...
- The Fact That We Didn't Find Any Means They Probably Were There
David Corn on Christopher Hitchens: "When he did address the issue of the absent WMDs in Iraq, he took a strange turn. 'Doesn't anything ever strike you as odd," he said, "about the figure of zero for [WMD] deposits found in Iraq? ... Isn't...
- Michael Shermer - The Baloney Detection Kit
In this blog we have featured previously a basic intro to logic and argumentation, a primer on the importance of critical thinking, a fun intro to informal logical fallacies, and many more relevant entries. And yet the main point cannot be emphasized...
- Why Major In Philosophy
For some of us, the choice of majoring in philosophy is not really much of a choice; it's an inescapable fact of reality because we are compelled by the power of its questions; we are enthralled by the conceptual mysteries it presents; we're mesmerized...