What is Critical Thinking - Essay Example

Critical thinking will help a person to identify the truth. “Critical thinking is the process of purposeful, self regulatory judgment” (Facione, p.19). Critical thinking is nothing but correct thinking to find out truth. It is the scientific way of thinking used by both ordinary people and the scholars to know relevant and reliable information about the current world. Austine Cline (2010) defined critical thinking as an effort to develop reliable, rational evaluations about what is reasonable for us to believe and disbelieve.

In his opinion, critical thinking makes use of the tools of logic and science because it values doubt over acceptance, reason over faith and rationality over wishful thinking (Cline). Critical thinking is an effort to find out the truth. It is not necessary that critical thinking always lead to truth, but it is the most reliable option available for finding out the truth. Rationality, self awareness, honesty, open mindedness, discipline, judgement etc are various features of critical thinking (What is critical thinking?). Critical thinking analyses things rationally rather than emotionally.

For example, we have heard many stories in which a person tries to commit suicide when he/she lost his life partner. It is an attempt driven by emotions. On the other hand, a critical thinker will accept the fact that he/she lost his/her life partner and will consider it as part of human life. Critical thinking always cements its arguments on evidences. Critical thinking never encourages assumptions or hypothesises. The questions like what, why, how etc are necessary for understanding problems and critical thinking always encourage these questions to arrive at conclusions.

Because of the backing of the established evidences, critical thinking always helps a person to take logical decisions. Logical decisions backed with critical thinking are