for michelle lewis only
PROFESSOR CALLENChapter 5 Standards for Thinking
One of the fundamentals of critical thinking is the ability to assess one’s own reasoning. To be good at assessment requires that we consistently take apart our thinking and examine the parts with respect to standards of quality. We do this using criteria based on clarity, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth, logicalness, and significance. Critical thinkers recognize that, whenever they are reasoning, they reason to some purpose (element of reasoning). Implicit goals are built into their thought processes, but their reasoning is improved when they are clear (intellectual standard) about that purpose or goal. Similarly, to reason well, they need to know that, consciously or unconsciously, they are using information (element of reasoning) in thinking, but their reasoning improves when they make sure that the information they are using is accurate (intellectual standard).
Put another way, when we assess our reasoning, we want to know how well we are reasoning. We do not identify the elements of reasoning for the fun of it or just to satisfy some authority. Rather, we assess our reasoning by using intellectual standards because we realize the negative consequences of failing to do so. In assessing our reasoning, then, we recommend these intellectual standards as minimal:
· clarity
· accuracy
· precision
· relevance
· depth
· breadth
· logic
· significance
· fairness
These are not the only intellectual standards a person might use. They are simply among the most fundamental. In this respect, the elements of thought are more basic because the eight elements we have identified are universal; they are present in all reasoning of all subjects in all cultures for all time. On the one hand, one cannot reason with no information about no question from no point of view with no assumptions. On the other hand, there is a wide variety of intellectual standards from which to choose—such as credibility, predictability, feasibility, and completeness—that we don’t use routinely in assessing reasoning.
As critical thinkers, then, we think about our thinking with these kinds of questions in mind: Am I being clear? Accurate? Precise? Relevant? Am I thinking logically? Am I dealing with a matter of significance? Is my thinking justifiable in context? Typically, we apply these standards to one or more elements.
Think for Yourself 5.1Identifying Inappropriate Standards
Can you identify a class you took in the past, either in high school or in college, in which you think your work was graded, at least in part, by one or more inappropriate standards? If so, what was the class? What was the standard? What was the result? Can you see the importance in education of basing all grades on appropriate intellectual standards? Write out or orally explain your answer.
Take a Deeper Look at Universal Intellectual Standards
Thinking critically requires command of fundamental intellectual standards. Critical thinkers routinely ask questions that apply intellectual standards to thinking. The ultimate goal is for these questions to become so spontaneous in thinking that they form a natural part of our inner voice, guiding us to better and better reasoning. In this section, we focus on the standards and questions that apply across the various facets of your life.
Clarity
Questions that focus on clarity include:
· Could you elaborate on that point?
· Could you express that point in another way?
· Could you give me an illustration?
· Could you give me an example?
· Let me state in my own words what I think you just said. Tell me if I am clear about your meaning.
Clarity is a gateway standard. If a statement is unclear, we cannot determine whether it is accurate or relevant. In fact, we cannot tell anything about it because we do not yet know what it is saying. For example, the question, “What can be done about the education system in America?” is unclear. To address the question adequately, we need a clearer understanding of what the person asking the question is considering the “problem” to be. A clearer question might be, “What can educators do to ensure that students learn the skills and abilities that help them function successfully on the job and in their daily decision making?” This question, because of its increased clarity, provides a better guide to thinking. It lays out the intellectual task in a more definitive way.