Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze, process, and come to a conclusion or answer to any given information. Many people use critical thinking to persuade others to their opinions about either a controversial issue or open ended question. Through critical thinking, a person is challenged to reach into the depths of their minds, and research topics to truly understand the information. Some people use critical thinking to justify actions. For example, the idea of utilitarianism believes that doing something back for the good of the whole is acceptable. Others think differently about the situation and cannot use that idea as justification. In terms of real life, the controversy of dropping the Hiroshima bomb had been critically thought about by politicians, media figures, and citizens of the world. When the United States dropped the bomb, it meant saving future lives of Americans and soldiers, as well as acting as a probable end to the war. However, it also meant killing thousands of innocent people and causing harm to the country and defects to future generations. Through critical thinking, we came to the conclusion that dropping the bomb would best suit the situation.

Since we have been in elementary school, we have been pushed to begin critically thinking. Simple questions such as, why can’t animals talk, and religious questions such as, what is right and wrong, made us think beneath the surface of issues. In middle school, we began reading books with hidden symbols, meaning and themes. This is when most children begin to analyze texts and come to conclusions about what it means in reference to the book as a whole. However, as high school and college students, critical thinking took on a new meaning. It no longer only revolved around answers that had already been concluded with scientific evidence and empirical data, but allowed students to think about their own interpretations and meanings. Critical thinking is the basis to accepting and refuting opinions, as well as helping people learn more about issues and information.