The Presence of Critical Thinking in Education and Arts - Literature review Example

Critical Thinking Critical thinking can be considered as one of the most important skill both in studying and in the application of the different knowledge in jobs and professions. The need for critical thinking can be considered to increase significantly on the basis of different reasons. One is the increasing amount of data and information that are needed to be familiar with to achieve a fair and logical perspective of the surroundings, which can often be referred to as universal knowledge. In addition, the challenge and stress brought about by the continuously improving technology requires an advance level of thinking (Halpern “Thought…” 2). Based on different points of view then, critical thinking is the capability of individuals for advanced processing of the data and information gathered based on a personal and distinct logic. The said process can be considered as a method of theorizing and philosophizing on the basis of observations. The study undertaken is based on the said skill of critical thinking. The main objective then is to be able to present and even practice the process of critical thinking on the basis of the text provided. Specifically, the manifestation of critical thinking in the published work of Michel Foucault on Diego Velázquez’s painting “Las Meninas.” The Presentation of Critical Thinking The analysis of the painting in the first chapter of the book under study represents an application of the different elements in critical thinking which are considered to be important in the process of learning the said skill. The different factors within the visual representation had been examined in details and explanations were given in an observed fusion and synergy of the different field of knowledge of the author himself. One notion that can be derived from such action is the perception that the skill of critical thinking can be considered as the interplay of the totality of the knowledge, beliefs and philosophies of a person which at some point can be tinged by intuition and even emotions (Foucault 1). The said perception had been gathered through the representation of the author regarding the different elements viewed in the painting. Arguments can be considered logical and can earn belief and agreements but the due to the fact that the coverage of the knowledge and experience of a person can differ from one another, there are certain statements that can be considered lacking of a clear view and tangible evidence in the actual artwork that had been presented. To be able to systematically access the process of critical thinking, it is important to determine the different elements of critical thinking. The Elements of Critical Thinking In critical thinking, every element related to the issue under study can be perceived essential. The said scenario can be attributed to the fact that in the analysis made by the author regarding the painting every part was given meaning and every possible reason was expressed. In relation then, the process of critical thinking can be undertaken by focusing on the different components of the issue and assimilating the relationship or the other way around. Included in the most important elements of critical thinking is thinking and reasoning. Basically, the process of thinking can be considered as the conceptualization of the issue and topic at hand. For that matter, it can often be affected by the field of knowledge or in most cases the profession to be able to present a particular line of thought. In addition, the reasoning which can be synonymous or the same as thinking is the process of assessment. It is composed of different concepts. One of the important concepts is the purpose. Purpose can be considered as a goal in critical thinking (Halpern “Thinking…” 1-15). Every component and parts of the painting for example can be assessed to have a purpose in the totality of the image to be able to convey a particular message. In the analysis of a particular art work, idealism and other concepts that the observer knows can be considered to be put into play (Olson and Smith 1-12). The perception of object is another element in critical thinking. It can be considered as the initial phase in the process of critical thinking which is the act of imbibing the object through the senses to be able to engage in a systematic analysis. The said process can be considered to be related to attention and the setting up of objectives to be able to achieve the logical explanation that can be considered as the target of the process of critical thinking. Basically, critical thinking is undertaken to be able to answer a problem, to give an analysis regarding an issue or to classify a particular concept or issue in question (Olson and Smith 13-24). From perception, the process of cognition is the subsequent process in critical thinking. The said process can be considered based on different assumptions, point of view and evidences. Such elements of knowledge can be considered as the main basis of the cognition process. These factors are then related to the learning and to the memory. When the said process is applied in the appreciation of arts, it can be viewed as the intellectualization of the particular artwork. In performing arts, the cognition can be achieved through movement and verbalization (Olson and Smith 13-14, 25-40). In visual arts, e.g. painting though, the critics and observers can be considered to have the active role. This can mean that the meaning can be interpreted by the observers of the piece of art. This can be related to the concept that image is an essential factor in critical thinking. In painting a picture, the image is present, what is needed to be developed though is the interpretation. As part of cognition, the achievement of the meaning out of a picture can be considered as one of the fundamental objectives of the process of critical thinking. On the other hand, if the subject of analysis is textual, imagery is needed to be achieved (Olson and Smith 23). Upon the achievement of the different level of cognition and reasoning, the conclusion regarding the object of analysis can be achieved based on the different components that can be perceived. Analysis Based on the study then of different references, the process of critical thinking is of importance in every field of expertise and application. It can be comparable to the culmination process of the different knowledge and skills of a person. It is a process of analysis, synthesis and evaluation that can result to a conclusion, generalization and understanding (Olson and Smith 65). There are different component of critical thinking on the basis of the field wherein the said process is applied. In the sciences, critical thinking can be considered to be related to scientific method. In addition, the objectivity in terms of the evidences is required. For that matter, the assimilation of the analysis and perceptions based on the gathered data and evidences is the main composition of the critical thinking process (Halpern “Thinking…” 152). On the other hand, in terms of the critical thinking in arts, the aesthetic elements are considered to be the bases. Artistic interpretation is more subjective due to the fact that it is based on the outlook and view of the observer unlike that of the sciences. If critical thinking in science is based on evidences and objectivity, emotions and even romanticism added to execution and expression techniques can be considered as the main bases (Olson and Smith 65). Based on the analysis conducted by the author, the conventional critical analysis in the field of arts can be observed. The painting by Velazquez can be considered as a representation of an artwork in a Classical style that is interpreted by the author on the basis of the rules of aesthetics as well as techniques. This is the tradition of critical thinking, which is the analysis of every element that is involved to be able to come up with a comprehensive view (Foucault 1-5). In terms of the incorporation and application of the modern philosophy which is comprised by the school of thought in the Renaissance, the importance of different field of studies both in the arts and in the fields of sciences are essential for success and existence. It is the period wherein the arts became recognized as a profession. The different fields of science, then, are not the only fields of study that involve process of cognition and intellectual judgement (Olson and Smith 68-80). Upon the realization and recognition of arts as important fields of study, it can be considered that the application of critical thinking in the appreciation and analysis of different works of arts are also initiated. This can be the main reason for the fact that the author was able to assess the painting by Diego Velázquez which is the “Las Meninas” in an objective manner. In addition, the assessment that critical thinking is both applied in the sciences and the arts can be considered as one of the achievements of modern philosophy which is well exhibited in the published work of the author. It can be concluded that upon application of critical thinking in the different fields of study and expertise, the analysis and understanding of the elements and concepts had increased the quality of the data and information by a number of levels. Basically, critical thinking then can be assessed to improve the cognition and conceptualization of the people when particular knowledge is acquired. Work Cited: Foucault, Michel. The Order of Things: An Archaeology of the Human Sciences. Vintage Books Edition, 1994. Halpern, Diane F. Thinking Critically about Critical Thinking. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1996. _____________. Thought & Knowledge: An Introduction to Critical Thinking. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2003. Olson, Ivan and Ralph A. Smith. The Arts and Critical Thinking in American Education. Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey, 2000. Read More