Emotions and Critical Thinking - Case Study Example

Task one and two The process of critical thinking is often defined as a systematic problem-solving method. Critical thinking, therefore, constitutes four identical steps to build upon a framework of problem-solving technique and successfully analyze a situation and come up with best-fit solutions in our day-to-day life. Initial step involves identifying a problem and all its related information. The person then ventures into exploring significant relationships and interpretations. When relationships have been identified and highlighted, a person analysis the problem listing the priorities of the way, which in oftentimes incorporates supporting information of the identified possible solutions and lastly, solution integration with careful monitoring for possible rectifications (Bailin and Siegel, p. 6). Emotions remain the center of most of self-drive of humans. These perceptions are crucial elements in learning and decision-making. They are also central in the rational thought process. In effect, even with a working intelligence but emotional deficits, logical decisions cannot be arrived at. Emotions are crucial to retaining information (Bailin and Siegel, p. 13). When something is learnt in the context of emotions, it is hardly ever forgotten. The learnt information is easily linked to a feeling and retaining is fostered. Use of multiple senses has proved to aid in retaining information. Better learning outcomes are realized when a learner uses more than one stimuli. When emotions are involved, especially emotions connected to good feelings, learning is more effective (Galindo, p. 5). Emotions, therefore, in all ways contribute to most of our decisions in the same manner like classical conditioning. They also influence our capacity to process new information and to precisely comprehend human encounters. A tactical assumption by educators ascribes that humans are rational creatures but often hampered by unwanted emotions and subconscious drives. Ignoring or subduing these emotions while at the same time channeling these drives results in unleashing of a rational being able to make a prudent choice (Siegel, p. 33). The emotions in this context seem to implicate substantial effects on our capabilities of making decisions. Emotions and critical thinking share an inverse relationship whereby when emotions are very high, then the capacity for critical thinking capability goes low significantly. At the height of emotions, human judgment is impaired and chances of remaining objective diminish exponentially (Clore and Huntsinger, p. 2). Irrespective of one’s profession, emotions have been shown to have a pact on the overall decision-making process and ultimately critical thinking. It is, therefore, by controlling emotions that people are capable of sustaining high levels of focus and critical thinking. Having understood critical thinking and established a link between the two, it is almost justifiable to come to a profound conclusion that relationships and feelings are a challenge in the process of critical thinking. These two human aspects are the main sources of emotions to all humans. Siegel has a point when he points out that for one to be a critical thinker, he/she should be well equipped to overcome these challenges (Siegel, p. 35). In the second stage of decision making, when exploring all significant relationships intertwined in a problem and possible solutions, emotions would adversely blur the objectivity of a person and hence personal biases and emotions should be eliminated from the chosen solution. Emotions extensively hamper the process of critical thinking as it leads to clouding of judgment to reason and fact. Suffice to note is that emotions have a role in all manner of thinking, in the analysis and finally, in resolution. Emotion is also crucial in creativity and in turn, creativity is crucial for problem solving. When an individual, therefore, heaps too many emotions in their process of thinking, over analysis of the problem results and ultimately, an over resolving of a problem. Treading on the opposite direction and choosing to remain unemotional results in inadequate problem analysis and ineffective problem resolution (Kwak, p. 128). A balance, in my opinion, must be hit to overcome this challenge. Critical thinking evidently involves both reason and feeling. As such, thinking cannot be understood as a purely intellectual and cognitive matter in the absence of emotions, intuitions, and feelings. Critical thinking can be expressed more rather human than mechanical. Therefore, the process of critical thinking will appreciate the integration of feelings and reason, a merging of emotion and cognition (Galindo, p. 7). Siegel has emphasized on the extent at which feelings will affect critical thinking by inferring that a critical thinker identifies his own inferences, reasons, and prejudices by only reflecting on them. The critics on Siegel’s inferences are remotely substantial but cannot be ignored completely. Siegel makes feelings and emotions appear as an obstacle on the way of decision-making. The impression this draws is that if emotions and feelings were gotten rid of, then effective critical thinking would be the result. However, Roland begs to differ from this empirical conclusion. Emotions and feelings are not a challenge to be overcome (Levinson et al. p. 12). They are present in our daily living and in every decision, we make. It is, therefore, rudimentary to assume that one would overcome emotions and feelings. The key to becoming an effective thinker, in this respect, will include mechanisms and conscious techniques to control our emotions and feelings. That means that emotions should be kept in check, not to over apply them in the face of a problem and neither to ignore them since they provide important insights to be a better critical thinker. Part b Lysiane Gagnon’s article provides a good insight to the issue of one-child concept for the fashionable ‘save our planet’ campaigns. The case she has taken is also interesting, with adequate support of the claims the article will make. Gagnon has followed a catchy proposal from Ms. Francis assertions calling for universal law forbidding couples from having more than one child. The assertion is supported by recent UN Population Fund encouraging birth control in a bid to aid in reducing global warming (Gagnon, p. 1). China country is a flagship in such laws where this has been in execution in china for years now. For a reversal of the disastrous rate of births in the world, sterilization does not seem like a farfetched idea. However, it is impractical for such measures to be employed but birth control laws such as having only one child comes in handy. The world population is constantly pushing resources out of their niche posing a present threat in coming years. She also notes that such measures would have many governments balking out only at the sound of such a policy. Religious institutions at least most of them, preach loudly and vehemently against the empiric birth control already available (Gagnon, p. 1. It is unimaginable how a great turmoil such a directive would create in such societies. That having being said, many governments would never buy such an idea. China, a country already under this law, has shown the cons and pros of this policy. Its practicality seems reasonable but when there is an excess of one gender, then the cons of this law almost nullifies the beauty of such a smart law. The economy of china undeniably improved from this law although human suffering played in the background (Gagnon, p. 1). Many couples opt for a male child since they are believed to remain custodians of homes when their parents age. China is in excess of males especially under twenty’s and has called for their males to import wives from neighboring countries (Gagnon, p. 1). That having been said, it appears more logically sound to alter the law a little bit and allow two children instead of one. In such an arrangement, it is less likely that the couple will choose to have both children of the same sex. Old people in china also rely on the young for livelihood since the country lacks a well-placed national aged security system (Gagnon, p. 1). The law has placed a restriction and led to a tremendous decrease in the number of the young. This coupled to an increased life expectancy does not sound appealing to the latter years of the country’s aged citizens. The young to old proportion will not match in years to come, and this poses a threat to any one country. The law is beneficial in the short time but in the end, the future is not very promising. The society also suffers from unspoken stings to its culture and social integration. Every healthy society will have well-established social ties and relations. Frustrations from the aged result in improper raising of children, who end up being idolized resulting in the increased number of obese children in a community like china (Gagnon, p. 1). Family ties have been severed and often, due to lack of nephews and siblings, most of the children end up egocentric. These effects are not realized immediately, but they threaten the social fabric of such a country in years to come. Even with a few environmental advocates against global warming almost making a baby look like nothing more than a carbon dioxide producer who escalates the problem of global warming, the UN refrains from passing mandatory precautions to curb this problem (Gagnon, p. 1). As an alternative, they have offered a sound alternative of advocating easily accessible birth control methods and health education to women especially. Although such measures have been slow to produce anything close to satisfactory birth control, they are acceptable mainly in most countries. The secret does not lie in such extreme measures, and neither is such a law all a beneficial venture. Education and birth control should be considered since they are more acceptable. Even with one-child policy being in play in china, Gagnon concludes by saying that china should look at its demographics (Gagnon, p. 1). This policy sounds posh and beneficial but comes with a package of its downside. It is impossible to dictate the sex of a child a couple should get, and that brings a challenge of imbalance in the sex. Again, such a low sounds totalitarian and would not be welcomed in many liberal countries. The piece Gagnon has written is more elaborate, reviewing a country that has implemented this law. Diane Francis in his “The Real inconvenience Truth” article remains theoretical. It is quite ignorant to even assume that any country would leap into such an idea of one-child policy without enough evidence of the workability of such a measure. China is the only example of a country, which implemented the law and is now living the downside of this policy (Gagnon, p. 1). It is also not sound to conclude that a policy such as China’s one-child policy is the only viable solution to the elevated universal birth rate. Many factors must be considered and hypothetically speaking, extinction of humankind would result if more males would be born since they cannot give birth, and every woman is entitled to one child. References Bailin, Sharon, and Harvey Siegel. “Critical Thinking.” The Blackwell guide to the philosophy of education (2003): 181–193. Print. Clore, Gerald L., and Jeffrey R. Huntsinger. “How Emotions Inform Judgment and Regulate Thought.” Trends in cognitive sciences 11.9 (2007): 393–399. Print. Gagnon, Lysiane. "Planetary Birth Control Gone Mad." The Globe and Mail. 18 Dec. 2009. Web. 28 Sep. 2014. retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe- debate/planetary-birth-control-gone-mad/article4348519/ Galindo, Mr Fredy Hernan Prieto. “Critical Thinking and Self-Knowledge.” (2014): n. pag. Google Scholar. Web. 27 Sept. 2014. Kwak, Duck-Joo. “Critical Thinking, Education, and Postmodernity: Possibilities and Limitations for Moral Education.” Asia Pacific Education Review 9.2 (2008): 127–135. Print. Levinson, Bradley A. et al. Beyond Critique: Exploring Critical Social Theories and Education. Paradigm Publishers, 2011. Print. Siegel, Harvey. Educating Reason. Routledge, 2013. Google Scholar. Web. 27 Sept. 2014. Read More