Week 5: Discussion

Critical thinking is not just something that you learn in a class (though a class can cover many of the basic concepts involved); it is a lifelong habit. It is a habit in which one learns not to accept claims without adequate evidence, not to judge others based upon a group or appearance, to critically evaluate sources of evidence, continually to critique and develop one’s own reasoning, to converse in a manner in which one seeks to grow and develop in one’s understanding of multiple points of view (rather than trying to prove oneself to be ‘right’), and finally, to genuinely desire to develop in oneself and others points of view that are broad, deep, and thoughtful.

This week's guidance will cover the following topics:

1. Logic and Life: Dogmatism versus Growth

2. Logic and Life: The Principle of Charity

3. Logic and Life: Healing Relationships

4. Logic and Life: Developing Good Habits

5. Answering Life's Persistent Questions

6. Things to Do This Week

Suppose that in discussions one only seeks to prove oneself to be right and to seem more intelligent than others. Such a person may be smart, but is such a person really a critical thinker? Such an approach, in which one seeks merely to confirm to oneself and to those around, that one is correct and clever, is an approach to life called dogmatism. The person is therefore likely to have a limited and fixed world view. Such a person may have strong defenses for certain views, but is likely to have shut out many important sources of truth.

The critical thinker, on the other hand, seeks always to grow and expand his or her points of view and seeks to understand competing theories fairly and deeply. Therefore a critical thinker is not a dogmatist. A critical thinker promotes a growth mindset (as opposed to a fixed mindset) in which we realize that we are not simply inherently smart or dumb, but that we can grow to be more and more intelligent through effort and dedication (Dweck, 2007). Therefore, the person with a growth mindset does not stagnate but realizes that education is a lifelong process.

Such a point of view requires a certain amount of humility: realizing that we are not perfect or omniscient but that we have the power to learn and grow inasmuch as we apply ourselves and open ourselves up to stretching of both minds of hearts in the search for greater wisdom.

The great ancient Greek philosopher, Socrates, defined philosophy as the love of wisdom; it is the lifelong effort to expand one’s understanding of life and its meaning. Such growth requires that one not assume that one already has that wisdom. In fact, in his famous speech in The Apology, Socrates concludes that his wisdom comes from the realization that he knows nothing. Those who think they know stop growing; Socrates who realizes that his knowledge is nothing and that there is so much more always to learn, is wiser only in that respect (Plato, n.d.).

*Disclaimer: Dogmatism and growth mindset are not exactly antonyms. The opposite of dogmatism is open-mindedness (a willingness to change/expand one's views); the opposite of the growth mindset is a fixed mindset (the idea that one's intelligence cannot be improved). However, these concepts are closely tied enough that they fit together with the purpose of this section.

Another respect in which the dogmatist is not a critical thinker is that he or she does not fully appreciate alternate points of view, but it satisfied with the superiority of his or her own point of view. Someone who lives in this way is likely to commit the fallacy of the straw man when it comes to understanding other people’s points of view. This is another respect in which the pursuit of truth requires us to expand our viewpoints.

A critical thinker, by contrast, will be empathetic to others' points of view and will practice the principle of charity, meaning that he or she will attribute the best possible reasoning to the person, even if that person is not fully able to articulate his or her own point of view him or herself. An important philosopher of language named Donald Davidson, even explained that one does not understand another’s view unless one has understood it in the most charitable way possible (Malpas, 2015). Any other interpretation fails to translate accurately the true meaning of other people’s words.

Only in such a way can one be sure that one has addressed and understood alternate points of view; without doing so, one cannot be sure that one has a deep understanding of the issue. The result, however, is that we can actually become empathetic and compassionate, because only in that way will we live in full appreciation of the perspectives of others and only in that way can we be sure that we are acting in a fully informed manner.

There is yet another sense in which a critical thinker should be compassionate. A critical thinker uses charity not just in interpreting the meaning of others’ words but also in choosing his or her actions. Suppose that someone tells you that what you are doing is wrong. Commonly people become defensive, even to the point of arguing and finding fault with the person saying it. The critical thinker, however, would more likely look to see if what the person is saying is true and if so to seek to correct it. To react otherwise would pre-empt an opportunity for growth.

Suppose that one finds oneself in a fight or serious dispute with a close friend or relative. There may be emotional pain and division involved. It is common for people to react to such situations with defensiveness and by fault finding in the other person, seeking to defend oneself. A critical thinker, however, focuses on what is true and right rather than who is more wrong. The point would be to learn from what is taught, to share one’s life from a non-defensive space, and seek to act in ways that lead to mutual happiness and well-being. If one’s spouse, for example, does not like a certain habit, a critical thinker will not seek to justify or to find a bad habit that the spouse has, but will evaluate how to fix the habit in ways that mutually beneficial and satisfying.

These are examples in which critical thinking can not only make us smarter but also kinder and more understanding in life.

None of us is perfect, but many use that motto to justify stagnation within unproductive habits. A critical thinker seeks to modify his or her life so as to be maximally good and satisfying. Will a critical thinker dodge responsibility, shirk duty, and avoid obligation? Will a critical thinker use television or video games in ways that conflict with daily productivity? A critical thinker will use research, reason, and experience to discover the methods that most produce long term success and happiness. This includes improving daily habits for long term success.

The ancient philosopher Aristotle (who invented formal logic), taught that one acquires virtue by developing habits that result in long term success. These habits are acquired by carefully choosing activities that lead to the best habits; these activities are selected with the careful use of reason to discover what will best enhance our long-term success. We are not born virtuous, but we acquire them through the careful application of reason to our daily lives (Aristotle, n.d.).

We now close by re-examining the questions asked in the first week. Can logic answer those questions? Yes and no. Logic does not by itself tell us what to do. However, logic gives us certain principles with which to contemplate such decisions. Those principles are designed to make us more likely to base our decisions on correct principles and careful reasoning. Some of those principles include:

• Use evidence-based premises (research the best sources and multiple sources

• Use valid or strong reasoning

• Consider alternate points of view (treating opposing arguments charitably

• Don’t just stick to one point of view but broaden one’s perspectives

• Weigh the risks and benefits of one’s choices before making them

• Develop lifelong habits that lead to constant (intellectual and practical) improvement

These steps can help us to do better at those types of decisions and ultimately live better lives. Starting with true premises and using good reasoning, we are more likely to find what is true and make the decisions that will lead to the most long term happiness.

Hopefully the tools that this class has given will help not just in college but in the rest of life as well. It has been wonderful working with you all this term.

1. Read the required materials for the week, including this guidance and chapter 9 from the textbook.

2. Watch the weekly intro video and all of the videos under the “Lectures” tab for this week of the course and view all other required materials.

3. Post a timely (initial post by day 3) and thorough response to the discussion forum as well as substantive replies to peers. This week you reflect on the traits of critical thinkers.

4. Take the Quiz for the week (by day 7). It covers the central concepts of the course as covered in the textbook, this guidance, and the lecture videos for this week. Note: The quiz this final week is cumulative and is worth twice as much as the previous quizzes (this one is worth 10% rather than 5%). Therefore, in studying make sure to review the main concepts from the whole course carefully.

5. Submit your Final Paper assignment. This is worth 20% of your grade. It is a good idea to edit and revise a couple of times prior to finalizing.

If you have any questions, make sure to let your instructor know, either via email or in the Ask Your Instructor forum.

Aristotle (n.d.). Nicomachean Ethics. Translated by W.D. Ross. Retrieved from http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.html

Cameron Lisney (2014). Growth mindset animation [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_oqghnxBmY

Carneades (2013). The principle of charity (ninety second philosophy) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPB0JOpvg_E

Dweck, C. (2007). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York, NY: Ballantine Books.

Infobundl (2014). Growth mindset video [Vidoe file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElVUqv0v1EE

Malpas, J. (2015). Donald Davidson. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from http://plato.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/encyclopedia/archinfo.cgi?entry=davidson

Plato (n.d.). Apology. Retrieved from http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/apology.html