Running Head: CRITICAL THINKING IN 21ST CENTURY SOCIETY

Megan Morrone Intro to Philosophy Extra Credit Critical Thinking in 21st Century Society May 3, 2013

CRITICAL THINKING IN 21ST CENTURY SOCIETY

The intellectual roots of critical thinking date back to the teachings of Socrates, who discovered a method of analytical questioning; known today as Socratic questioning, establishing that one could not rationally justify their assured claims to knowledge. Socrates established that people cannot depend upon those in "authority" to have sound knowledge and insight. He demonstrated that individuals may have power and high position and yet be deeply confused and irrational. He established the importance of asking questions and thinking deeply before we accept an idea as worthy of belief. Socrates stressed the significance of seeking evidence, closely examining reasoning and assumptions, analyzing basic concepts, and tracing out implications not only of what is said but of what is done. This, I believe, is essential to living a successful and knowledgeable life; question everything and everyone. I strongly agree with Socrates idea that we cannot depend upon an individual of higher power to have allencompassing knowledge and insight solely based on their status. The use of certain words, in just the right way, is enough to make some individuals believe just about anything; most successful lawyers have built their entire careers simply by knowing what to say, how to say it, and when to say it. Although I feel that critical thinking is a necessity throughout life, along with analyzing and questioning everything; I also feel that it is not something that is simply learned. Today, in our contemporary 21st century American society, we are certainly allowed to be and/or trained to be critical thinkers, but it is only certain individuals who will use critical thought to its highest ability to expand their knowledge and open up the mind. These individuals, sometimes rare, have the ability to reflectively question common beliefs and justifications, and use this to carefully distinguish those beliefs that are reasonable and logical from those which lack acceptable evidence or rational foundation to justify a certain belief.

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Socrates practice was followed by many great critical thinkers, such as Plato, Aristotle, and the Greek skeptics, all of whom emphasized that things are often very different from what they appear to be and that only the trained mind is prepared to see through the way things look to us on the surface, misleading appearances, to the way they really are beneath the surface, the deeper realities of life. Critical thinking, amongst many other definitions, is the ability to understand and apply, to infer and to meaningfully investigate given information; the skills needed to see equivalents, comprehend connections, identify problems, and develop justifiable explanations. It identifies bias, and a bias is not necessarily bad; it is simply a preferred way of looking at things. However, critical thinking does not necessarily benefit everyone; it can alter relationships, change attitudes, and cause family and friends to part ways. In light of our readings, many of the individuals we have discussed stress the need for a critical society, but additionally stress that it is not always beneficial, especially for those susceptible to nonsense. John Stuart Mill feared conformism among society as a whole, he saw this as a uniformity which enforced narrow-minded views and illogical rules on those individuals more open-minded and educated. A few years back while researching religion for a paper, I came across Mills idea of hell belief, where he argues that the belief in hell is made inconsistently both strong and weak by a total system failure in critical thinking; that hell belief is incompatible with the belief that God is good. He explained that the same mind-set that enables them to accept a theory involving these contradictions prevents them from seeing the logical consequences of the theory. Mills ideas of hell belief are very similar to those of my own. Many, if not most, people are introduced and expected to abide by a certain religion by the time they speak their first words. Naturally, more often than not, religion and religious values are

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the first thing that many are taught; however religion allows little, or no room, for critical thinking. Many people carry their religious beliefs and values throughout life, where critical thinkers challenge and question it; they find the stuff that doesnt quite make sense and demand to know where the logic lies and why exactly theyre supposed to life by these ideas. In Mills ideas, people come to believe in it and manage to stay sane about it for the same reason, a lack of critical thinking. In our readings, we see that Bertrand Russell emphasizes the importance of open and free analysis, and the critical need to create education systems that raise open-minded pursuit of knowledge and cautions the dangers inherent in rigid ideologies. I agree with Russell and believe that children should be taught to think critically as soon as they start their education because as adults it is almost impossible to learn, it is not simply a skill you can up and decide you want to possess. If more schools implemented a system that encourages children to keep an open mind and consistently put certain ideas and theories to the test, they would be better prepared for future education, encouraged to socialize with their peers even if theyre not from the same religious or ethnic background, and overall be well prepared for life itself; the habit of questioning everything leads to the development of well-rounded knowledge. When referencing the answers that many of us strive for, Russell explains that if philosophy cannot answer all of our questions, it at least holds the power of asking questions which increase the interest of the world, and show the strangeness and phenomenon lying just below the surface even in the simplest things of everyday life. He identifies a need for a theory of knowledge that will merge what appears to be from what really is, as well as the importance to practice knowledge responsibly; that in order to make statements or hold beliefs about knowledge, we must be able to substantiate that our knowledge is accurate to reality.

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In the readings from Rene Descartes, we learn of his dilemma and philosophical confusion about ordinary things. He decided that he would not believe in anything that was not clearly and distinctly true, and that the only thing that is absolutely certain is our existence. He exclaims that no matter how ridiculous an idea or theory may be, if you cannot prove with sufficient evidence that it is, in fact, false, then it there is a possibility that it may be true. I feel that Descartes makes a valid point with this idea because I agree that nothing is ever certain and the world around us is constantly changing and the only thing we can be sure of is that were here right now. Moreover, I feel that us as humans naturally, if even only a slim possibility of a certain existence, still feel a bit of doubt if we cannot see the evidence to prove that certain things exist or not. Descartes, when assessing his own beliefs, realized that many were conflicting, others inconsistent, and some more justified than others. Rather than attempt to categorize each belief, he chose to examine them against a method of doubt; by questioning the source of his beliefs and contemplating whether or not they were foolproof, and if not, then they are not reliable for providing the foundations of knowledge. Additionally, he also noted that many of his beliefs derived from senses or perception, which he believed could be very misleading. Each of the above mentioned philosophers, I find, have strong and effective arguments. It is important for us as human beings, in a world of constant change, to be able to look past the surface and see deeper into the realities of life. Although there is a possibility, certainly better at a young age, that an individual can be taught how to think critically, and how to successfully analyze and asses everything, read or heard; only those who are naturally critical thinkers can use it to their best advantage. I strongly believe that it is a certain, personality trait of sorts, which for

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some just comes naturally. Agreeing with Descartes ideas, since there is not much evidence to support that the ability to think critically can be taught and/or learned, at any age, and very few schools recognize it as an educational necessity, it is hard to say exactly what could be done to encourage society to stray away from narrow-mindedness. Critical thinking, if anything, is a strong foundation for knowledge, but not necessarily happiness for all. Although I have stated above that critical thinking is essential for a successful life, it does not guarantee a successful life and certainly does not make for an easy one. More often than not, these individuals are those who over-think and analyze every little thing in life, they see the not-so-pretty realities of the world that many others overlook and these realities are never pleasant. Seeing the realities of life, especially seeing people for who they actually are, rather than what they choose to show or an act they put on, is more often than not a tragedy. The natural critical thinkers of our time are different from most and rarely conform to society or social norms, they always stand up for what they believe in and pay no mind to others judgments; they are those rare individuals with the ability to change the world and eventually, although sometimes rarely, we come across one who actually does.