The Need for Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is the active, careful and persistent consideration of both the justifications for and the implications of our beliefs (Dewey, 1933). An individual thinks critically if and only if the individual actively, carefully and persistently considers both “the grounds that support” their belief and “the further conclusions to which it tends” (p. 9).

If critical thinking is the active, careful and persistent consideration of both the justifications for or the implications of our beliefs, then if individuals should actively, carefully and persistently consider both the justifications for and the implications of their beliefs, then they should also think critically.

First, individuals should actively, carefully and persistently consider the justifications for their beliefs. Mill (1882) argues as follows:

“The business of the magistrate, of the military commander, of the navigator, of the physician, of the agriculturalist, is merely to judge of evidence and to act accordingly. […] As they do this well or ill, so they discharge well or ill the duties of their several callings. It is the only occupation in which the mind never ceases to be engaged.” (p. 21)

According to Mill, an individual discharges his or her duties well only if the individual judges evidence well. Because individuals should discharge their duties well, they should judge evidence well. In other words, they should actively, carefully and persistently consider the justifications for their beliefs.

Second, individuals should also actively, carefully and persistently consider the implications of their beliefs. Mill (1882) also argues as follows:

“To draw inferences has been said to be the great business of life. Every one has daily, hourly, and momentary need of ascertaining facts which he has not directly observed: not from any general purpose of adding to his stock of knowledge, but because the facts themselves are of importance to his interests or to his occupations.” (p. 21)

According to Mill, an individual discharges his or her duties well only if the individual knows facts that are of importance to his or her duties well. However, because some facts that are of importance to his or her duties are not directly observed, the individual knows them well only if he or she draws inferences well. Because individuals should discharge their duties well, they should draw inferences well. In other words, they should actively, carefully and persistently consider the implications of their beliefs.

Given the abovementioned arguments, individuals should think critically. However, if individuals should think critically, then they should also learn critical thinking. This is because individuals ought to think critically only if they can do so, and individuals can think critically only if they learn it. Therefore, individuals should learn critical thinking.

References

Dewey, J. (1933). How we think: A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the education process. (2nd ed.). D.C. Heath and Company.

Mill, J. S. (1882). A system of logic, ratiocinative and inductive, being a connected view of the principles of evidence, and the methods of scientific investigation. (8th ed.). Harper & Brothers.