- Structuring critical thinking
- Characteristics of Richard Paul's critical thinking
- Critical thinking skills
- References
The critical thinking of Richard Paul is a disciplined intellectual process that actively seeks to analyze, conceptualize, summarize and evaluate information.
This data evaluation can be based on experience, observation, reasoning or communication and serves as a way of being. She also described that this method includes the review of characteristics associated with the act of thinking, such as the frame of reference, questions, assumptions, problems, purpose and more.
Since knowledge is interconnected, one must resort to philosophical, historical, scientific, economic, and anthropological thought, among others.
Structuring critical thinking
As part of its structuring, two main elements can be distinguished: a set of skills that process information and generate beliefs.
On the other hand, the individual custom to implement these attributes in a focused way with the intention of guiding behavior in a given context.
These factors can be contrasted first with the simple acquisition and retention of data, since it presents a different treatment of the information and its search.
Second, with the mere possession of certain abilities that must be used. And third, with the use of those attributes as an exercise without accepting the results.
Critical thinking, according to Richard Paul, varies according to the intentions behind it. When you have selfish motives, it serves to manipulate ideas based on the interests of one or more people.
On the contrary, when it is based on impartiality and intellectual integrity, it is higher, although susceptible to idealism.
Characteristics of Richard Paul's critical thinking
In his critique of the American educational system, Dr. Richard Paul concludes that the majority of university students are apathetic, do not think autonomously and do not have their own beliefs.
This reasoning led him to lay the foundations of his doctrine, which can be summarized as follows:
-The ability to implement constructive skepticism.
-The virtue of incorporating deep learning, based on rationality and self-directed.
-The ability to identify and eliminate prejudices, as well as the application of one-sided thinking.
-Assuming that, through a rational process, one can verify what one knows and give clarity to what is ignored.
-The art of making reasoning more precise, fair and clear through the ability to think about how we analyze ideas during this process.
Critical thinking skills
On the other hand, Richard Paul established a series of attitudes that one must possess in order to have a strong sense of critical thinking. These 7 virtues are the following:
-Self criticism. In conjunction with intellectual humility, it allows you to set limits on what is known.
-Intellectual audacity. It's about fairly examining the ideas or beliefs that we reject.
-Rational integrity. Handle the information with the utmost honesty.
-Mental empathy. Listen to others carefully before judging or criticizing them.
-Trust in reason.
-Intellectual persistence.
-Vocation of rational justice.
The foundations of critical thinking were established by Richard M. Glasser in 1941 and later adopted by Richard Paul, who further contributed to its development.
References
- Paul, R. and Elder, L. (2001). Paul-Elder Critical Thinking Framework. Retrieved on 12/14/2017 from louisville.edu
- Pryme, Lionel (1998). Remapping Critical Thinking Theory: A Critique of Richard Paul's Model of Critical Thinking, UMASS. Retrieved on 12/12/2017 from scholarworks.umb.edu
- The Critical Thinking Community. Defining Critical Thinking. Retrieved on 12/14/2017 from criticalthinking.org
- Espíndola C., José L. The formation of critical thinking. Retrieved on 12/13/2017 from Correodelmaestro.com
- Hart, Greg. The Passing of a Critical Thinking Giant: Richard Paul (1937-2015). Recovered on 12/13/2017 from skeptic.com