Stalking Beasts, but Swatting Flies: The Teaching of Critical Thinking

Abstract

This article takes a critical look at what is called “critical thinking,” and it shows how this notion is typically confused with such notions as “reasoning ability” and “argument analysis.” Moreover, it is argued that the confusion of these notions often forms a large part of the justification for programs in critical thinking. The role of critical thinking in “everyday problems” is also discussed, and the author presents an hypothesis that knowledge and training in the traditional disciplines has more potential transfer than direct training in “critical thinking skills.”