WGU - C168 CRITICAL THINKING AND LOGIC|381 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

What are the three dimensions of critical thinking? 1. Analyzing one's thinking 2. Evaluating one's thinking 3. Improving one's thinking What are the four characteristics of critical thinking? 1. self-directed 2. self-disciplined 3. self-monitored 4. self-corrective _____ is the tendency to view everything in relation to oneself. egocentrism _____ is the assumption that one's own social group is inherently superior to all others. sociocentrism What are three things a well-cultivated critical thinker does while reasoning? 1. Raises vital questions 2. Gathers and assesses relevant information 3. Reaches well-reasoned conclusions and solutions 4. Thinks open-mindedly 5. Communicates effectively with others Americans have always done it that way, and as the greatest country in the world, it's always worked for us in the past. How can we trust the engineering work on this building? The structural engineers weren't educated in the U.S. These statements are a result of what kind of thinking? First-order thinking The assumptions we've relied upon may be flawed. Let's review them again. I'd like to talk this over with some colleagues. They may have some insights we are missing. These statements are a result of what kind of thinking? Second-order thinking What are some examples of weak critical thinkers? 1. They ignore the flaws in their own thinking 2. They seek to win an argument through intellectual trickery or deceit 3. They make no true effort to consider alternative viewpoints 4. They are willing to hide or distort evidence What are some examples of strong critical thinkers? 1. The consistently pursue what is intellectually fair and just 2. They strive to be ethical 3. They will entertain arguments with which they do not agree Intellectual Humility Characterization Commitment to discovering the extent of one's own ignorance on any issue Recognition that one does not—and cannot—know everything Consciousness of one's biases and prejudices Aware of the limitations of one's viewpoint Recognition that one should claim only what one actually knows Awareness that egocentrism is often self-deceiving (i.e., convinces the mind that it knows more than it does) Its Opposite Intellectual arrogance Overestimation of how much one knows No insight into self-deception or into the limitations of one's viewpoint Relationship to Fair-Mindedness Fair-mindedness requires us to first recognize the ignorance and flaws in our own thinking and to comport ourselves accordingly. It requires self-awareness and a willingness to examine the limitations of one's own point of view. Being a fair-minded thinker means habitually applying the standards of reasoning to one's own thinking in an effort to improve it. Intellectual Courage Characterization Confronting ideas, viewpoints, or beliefs with fairness, even when doing so is painful Examining fairly beliefs which one has strong negative feelings and toward which one has previously been dismissive Challenging popular belief Leads us to recognize that ideas which society deems dangerous or absurd may hold some truth or justification Fortifies us to confront false or distorted ideas embraced by social groups to which we belong Its Opposite Intellectual cowardice Fear of ideas that do not conform to one's own Deters serious consideration of ideas, beliefs, or viewpoints perceived as dangerous Threatened by ideas when they conflict with our self-identity (e.g., conservative or liberal, believer or nonbeliever, etc.) Relationship to Fair-Mindedness Critical thinkers don't link their self-identities to their beliefs. They define themselves according to how they arrive at their beliefs (i.e., the intellectual process) Refusing to connect one's identity with one's beliefs fosters greater intellectual courage and fair-mindedness Intellectual Empathy Characterization Inhabiting the perspectives of others in order to genuinely understand them Requirements Ability to reconstruct other people's viewpoints and reasoning Ability to reason from premises, assumptions, and ideas not one's own Motivation to concede when one was wrong in the past despite a strong conviction of being right at the time Ability to imagine being similarly mistaken in a current situation Its Opposite Intellectual self-centeredness Thinking centered on self Renders us unable to understand others' thoughts, feelings, and emotions Won't permit us to consider problems or issues from a vantage point other than our own Relationship to Fair-Mindedness Fair-mindedness requires a sincere attempt to inhabit the perspectives of other people in order to fathom their thinking One can't be fair to the reasoning of others if one has not genuinely tried to understand it Intellectual Integrity Characterization Holding oneself to the same rigorous intellectual standards that one expects others to meet Practicing daily what we preach to others Admitting flaws and inconsistencies in our own thinking Identifying weaknesses in our own thinking Basic measure: extent to which one's beliefs and actions are consistent (i.e., one doesn't say one thing and do another) it's oppopsite Intellectual dishonesty Marked by contradictions and inconsistencies of which the perpetrator is unconscious Hiding our hypocrisy from ourselves (due to naturally egocentric mind) Regarding ourselves as fair even when we expect others to follow much more rigorous standards than those we impose on ourselves Relationship to Fair-Mindedness Fair-mindedness requires us to think and act in compatible ways Those blind to contradictions and inconsistencies in their own thinking and behavior can't reason well through ethical issues involving themselves Intellectual Perseverance Characterization Working one's way through intellectual complexities despite frustrations inherent in doing so Not giving up when confronted by complicated problems that don't lend themselves to easy solutions Hallmarks Reasoning through complex issues carefully and methodically Following rational principles rather than trusting initial impressions and simplistic answers Realizing that true understanding or insight comes only when one grapples with confusion and unsettled questions over time Its Opposite Intellectual laziness Giving up quickly when confronted with a tough intellectual challenge Reflects a low tolerance for mental struggle or frustration Relationship to Fair-Mindedness Lack of intellectual perseverance impedes fair-mindedness We can't understand others' (complex) viewpoints unless we're willing to undertake the hard intellectual work of reasoning through them Confidence in Reason Characterization Proceeds from the belief that both the individual's and society's higher interests are best served by unfettered reason Encourages people to arrive at their own conclusions through their own powers of rational thinking Faith that we can learn to: think for ourselves reach well-informed viewpoints draw reasonable conclusions think clearly, accurately, relevantly, and logically persuade one another through sound reasoning and evidence be reasonable despite fundamental barriers to reasonableness in human nature and social life Its Opposite Intellectual distrust of reason Lack of confidence in reason Inclines us to assert the truth of our own beliefs, flawed though they might be relationship to Fair-Mindedness Fair-mindedness is impossible if one does not appreciate the importance of reason One cannot be fair-minded if one won't seriously consider sound reasoning with which one disagrees Intellectual Autonomy Characterization Thinking for oneself while adhering to standards of rationality Hallmarks Reasoning through issues on one's own rather than uncritically accept others' viewpoints Relying on one's own reasoning when deciding what to or what not to believe Accepting others' views only so far as they are reasonable in light of the evidence Its Opposite Intellectual conformity Intellectual dependence Society rewards conformity of thought, which perpetuates the status quo (political, economic, or intellectual), while providing scant incentive for true intellectual autonomy Relationship to Fair-Mindedness Fair-mindedness isn't possible without intellectual autonomy because reasoning things out from others' vantage points requires independent thinking Three functions of the mind thinking feeling wanting Thinking Makes sense of the world judging perceiving analyzing clarifying determining comparing synthesizing Feeling Tells us how we are doing happy sad depressed anxious stressed calm worried excited Wanting Drives us to act as we do goals desires purposes agendas values motives Which of the following statements best defines critical thinking? Critical thinking involves thinking about thinking while thinking in order to make thinking better. Critical thinking involves_______ one's own thinking. analyzing, evaluating, and improving one's own thinking. Which of the following is not a bad habit of thought? reasoning from assumptions that are not one's own Which term means the tendency to view everything in relationship to oneself? egocentrism In thinking through a problem, the critical thinker does all of the following except: gathers information that supports his/her presuppositions Another term for critical thinking is: second-order thinking Hiding or distorting evidence illustrates which of the following? weak-sense thinking Critical thinking values ________ of thought over ______ of thought. depth/speed