Critical Thinking Defined

Several definitions of critical thinking exist, many sharing common elements. This page provides a rationale and guide for developing critical thinking skills for this class, but it will be helpful in other classes as well.
 

The National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking (1987) defines critical thinking as: “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.” In other words, critical thinking aims to examine thinking and reasoning structures and elements of a concept or idea.

It is essential to see critical thinking as an intellectual process that requires detailed examination and evaluation of information (e.g, facts, observations, data) in order to construct a deeper understanding of the topic and develop informed judgment. 

Critical Thinking is:

Examining:

• the purpose, problem, or question-at-issue; 
• assumptions; 
• concepts; 
• reasoning leading to conclusions; 
• implications and consequences; 
• objections from alternative viewpoints; and 
• frame of reference.

Critical Thinking is not:

Since critical thinking involves an intellectual process, it is not:

• the same for everybody;
• a regurgitation of information;
• a summary or personal opinion of what was read, heard, or seen;
• a one-time task;
• immediate acceptance of ideas as-is;
• superficial critique.  

Critical Thinking Applied

Some examples of critical thinking questions include the following, which you are welcome to use when contributing to discussions and completing assignments:
 

For one method of using critical thinking to develop effective, engaging essays, check out the Purdue OWL's guide to Argument & Critical Thinking.