Critical thinking is linked to the analysis of the consistency of reasoning.
The Latin verbpensare , which acts as a synonym for "think", and the Greek verb krienin , which can be translated as "decide" or "separate", are the two words that show the etymological origin of the term that we are now going to proceed to analyze. exhaustively.
Critical thinking consists of analyzing and evaluating the consistency of reasoning , especially those statements that society accepts as true in the context of everyday life.
This evaluation can be carried out through observation, experience, reasoning or the scientific method . Critical thinking requires clarity, precision, fairness, and evidence, as it attempts to avoid particular impressions. In this sense, it is related to skepticism and the detection of fallacies . We have to make it clear that fallacies are the set of lies or deceptions that someone makes, frequently or not, with the clear objective of harming another specific individual.
Critical thinking, knowledge and intelligence
Through the process that involves critical thinking, knowledge and intelligence are used to reach a reasonable and justified position on an issue. Among the steps to follow, specialists point out that you must adopt the attitude of a critical thinker; recognize and avoid cognitive biases; identify and characterize arguments; evaluate information sources; and, finally, evaluate the arguments.
In addition to all of the above, in order for someone to become an expert critical thinker, it is important that they possess or have acquired a series of fundamental skills for the development of said thinking. Among them is, for example, the ability to interpret ideas, situations or data of various kinds.
However, it is not the only vital quality. Likewise, he must also have perfect ability both to proceed with the analysis of what is before him and to evaluate various parameters, among which are the intentions of the author or source, since only in this way will he know if he is granted or it reduces credibility.
To the aforementioned qualities we should add, in the same way, the need to be able to evaluate and analyze the interferences that may occur and the ability to explain the arguments that are fundamental in their conclusions. And all this without forgetting the thinker's own ability to self-analyze and examine himself as a method of enrichment.
Knowledge is essential for the development of critical thinking.
Beyond defect detection
It should be noted that critical thinking does not imply thinking negatively or with a predisposition to find defects and failures. Nor does it attempt to change people's ways of thinking or replace feelings and emotions.
The goal of critical thinking is to avoid social pressures that lead to standardization and conformism . The critical thinker seeks to understand how to recognize and mitigate or avoid the different deceptions to which he or she is subjected in everyday life. That is why he distrusts sources of information such as the media, since they tend to distort reality. The premise of critical thinking is to doubt everything you read or hear, to approach objective data more precisely.