Sunday, February 14, 2010

Portrait of a Critical Thinker




Benjamin Andrews
Prof. Gross
English 103
14 February 2010
Portrait of a Critical Thinker
A critical thinker puts thought into everything. Critical thinking is essentially the application of more thought into the understanding of a subject than what we can understand from a first impression. The difference between static observation and dynamic critiquing is like examining a movie scene by scene, line by line and shot by shot as opposed to simply watching one. When we think critically we must examine everything including, but not limited to, context, syntax, metaphors, alliteration, religion, philosophy, science and politics. Critical thinking is a holistic act of examining and understanding a subject in a certain context.
One of the most important things to examine through critical thinking is the context in which the subject exists. For example, a pastor must study the historical context in which the author Paul wrote the book of Ephesians to be able to properly communicate the message and meaning of the passage to his congregation. A pastor must also consider the meaning of the of the original Greek, Hebrew or Aramaic text as well as the writer’s choice of vocabulary. Examining a passage of scripture out of context can have severe negative theological consequences.
A critical thinker must take into consideration the thinker’s general knowledge. A mature critical thinker is a well-rounded individual that can process complex information. For example, a citizen must be able to listen to the speech of a politician and discern fact from fiction. This requires the citizen to be alert and knowledgeable in several areas. He (or she) must have a concrete understanding of history and an awareness of current events. The concerned citizen must also have basic knowledge of fundamental concepts such as the role of government, economic theory, foreign policy and civil rights to name a few. Without critical thinking, a democracy cannot function.
A critical thinker needs a healthy dose of skepticism. He also needs a balanced portion of faith and doubt. We need to measure what is presented to us against what we can observe through scientific inquiry, reason and logic. However, we must accept some things as mysteries that we cannot personally comprehend and can only test as truth through deductive reasoning. For example, the average person does not understand binary code but can observe the smooth operation of an Apple computer and realize a computer engineer designed it to work that way. Likewise, we apply deductive reasoning in the practice of theology and Christian doctrine. The theologian deducts from observation of the natural world that there is a Creator. He studies multiple belief systems and concludes although all religious systems have different doctrines and rituals they can be divided into two groups: religions that teach people that they must work to be reconciled with their god(s) and Christianity which states God works to reconcile humans to Himself.
Without critical thinking, we cannot make intelligent observations or develop complex social structures and technology. It enables us to make art, devise policies, solve problems and study the transcendent nature of divinity. Critical thinking is absolutely vital to our existence. Through the application of critical thinking in the above examples of theology and democracy I will be able to better understand the world I live in.

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