Critical Thinking: Obstacles and Challenges
Introduction
- Critical thinking is challenging and requires effort.
- The second lesson of the course focuses on the obstacles to critical thinking.
Why is Critical Thinking Hard?
- Brain Function:
- The brain is energy-demanding, consuming about 20% of the body's energy.
- To conserve energy, the brain takes shortcuts leading to thinking mistakes, known as logical fallacies.
- Logical fallacies are common, even among educated individuals.
Types of Obstacles to Critical Thinking
- Obstacles are categorized into:
- Psychological Obstacles
- Social Obstacles
- Conceptual Obstacles
Psychological Obstacles
- Worldview:
- Influenced by culture, society, and parental teachings.
- Requires maturity to recognize and correct false beliefs.
- Personal Identity:
- People have an idealized self-view and resist conflicting information.
- Confirmation Bias:
- A tendency to perceive only information that confirms existing beliefs.
- Example: Religious beliefs often mirror those of one's parents.
Social Obstacles
- Cultural Influence:
- Society and culture shape worldviews and set belief norms.
- Peer Pressure:
- Influences beliefs and is significant among teens, especially via social networks.
Conceptual Obstacles
- Relativism:
- Subjective/Cultural Relativism claims truth is relative to individuals or cultures.
- This view is incorrect as it is self-defeating.
- Skepticism:
- Healthy Skepticism: Doubt and inquiry until sufficient information is gathered.
- Unhealthy Skepticism: Belief that truth does not exist because it is hard to find.
- Lack of Clarity:
- Unclear language leads to poor thinking.
- Avoid vague and cryptic language.
Conclusion
- Critical thinking is a continuous skill that requires persistence and improvement.
- Recognizing obstacles is key to becoming a better thinker.
- The course will cover more on argumentation and evaluation in future lessons.
Stay engaged for more lessons on developing critical thinking skills.