INSTRUCTIONS
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
- Textbook: Chapter 16
- Lesson
Introduction
Remember – these journal questions require more thinking than writing. Think about exactly what you are asked to do, and then write as economically as possible.
Instructions
- Critical Thinking
- Go back to your very first journal entry – review your definition of critical thinking. After studying critical thinking for the past eight weeks, would you change your definition in any way? If yes, how and why? If no – if it was perfect – what parts of the text were best reflected in your definition?
- Heart of the Matter
- Recall in your first journal entry that you discussed the authors’ statement that the concepts in Chapters 12, 13 and 14 were “the heart of the matter.” After having studied those chapters, answer again, with renewed understanding, the question posed there: Why do you think the authors find these concepts important to critical thinking?
- Ethical Decision-Making
- The lecture claims that an argument is no good unless it has a “strong and reasoned ethical base.” Do you agree that ethics is an essential element of a good argument? If yes, why? If no, why not?
- Looking Forward
- Do you believe that you now know everything you need to know about critical thinking – or is learning to think critically a life-long task? Explain your answer.
ANSWER:
When we started this course, I only knew the definition of critical thinking but understood less about the process and skills involved. In the first assignment, I defined it as sound thinking. I also added that it involved more than merely making the right decisions. Critical thinking is a systematic process, which involves a careful analysis of available information, available alternatives, and potential outcomes before making the final judgment. I still stand by my initial definition. Through the course, we have explored the process. According to Facione and Gittens (2013), there are…. To continue reading, click on the purchase button below.