Thinking About Thinking

If you are a student of philosophy, a teacher of any discipline, or, simply, one who wishes to enhance your understanding and intellectual ability, then you are always seeking ways to improve the quality of your own and others' thinking. What centrally concerned Socrates and Aristotle in classical Greece remains as vital a need for individuals today. The pervasive spread of electronic media in the last half of this century and its attendant tsunami of information and opinion has made even more urgent the need to cultivate sound analytical, critical, and evaluative thinking skills. The person who does not practice the habit of analyzing and assessing claims for relevance, accuracy, and logic risks not only being misled, but also misleading others--poor thinking begets more of itself.

A growing concern about the ability of citizens of all ages to think critically and effectively has spawned the so-called "critical thinking movement" in world education. And, as with most things, the Internet and World-Wide Web increasingly show evidence of rising interest in "thinking about thinking." An increasing number of useful resources is available to anyone who wishes to learn more about effective thinking.

One of the best places to begin is The Center for Critical Thinking (CCT) at Sonoma State University.

The center, founded and directed by Richard Paul, the author of several books in the field, and assistant director Linda Elder, in its own words: conducts advanced research and disseminates information about the theory and practice of critical thinking. It works closely with the Foundation for Critical Thinking, the College Board, the National Education Association, the U.S. Department of Education, and numerous colleges, universities, and school districts to facilitate implementation of high standards of critical thinking instruction from kindergarten through college.

The CCT Web site offers this definition of critical thinking:

Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.

From this starting point, it provides an extensive collection of online resources, including separate sections devoted to primary/secondary education and to college and university resources, with supporting libraries of useful materials (both free and for-purchase). One of the site's most helpful resources is an extensive searchable Glossary of Critical Thinking Terms. Understanding and reviewing some of the key concepts in the glossary is an excellent way of beginning your exploration of not only the site, but also the whole critical thinking field. Visitors will also find full-text articles on such topics as Socratic Questioning and helping students assess their thinking. However, the site is useful to everyone, not just teachers. There are FAQs, recommended readings, discussion lists, and links to other organizations and resources devoted to improving thinking