29th Critical Thinking Conference Keynote part 2

Summary

The transcript emphasizes the importance of critical thinking in education, suggesting that much of our thinking is influenced by our upbringing, societal norms, and egocentrism. It highlights the need to control our thinking to improve our behavior and decision-making. The speaker advocates for a framework of thinking that is explicit, global, systematic, and free from constraints. The goal is to develop a critical thinking model that is accessible, using natural language and avoiding jargon, to foster a broader understanding and application of critical thinking across various fields of knowledge.

Takeaways

• 🤔 Education in the sense of producing critical thinkers is not yet fully achieved.
• 🧠 Our surroundings are filled with manifestations of thought, influencing our behavior and decisions.
• 🔄 Poor thinking in any aspect of life can lead to negative outcomes, from relationships to health.
• 🤷‍♂️ Much of our thinking is influenced by childhood, family, religion, politics, and peer groups, often unconsciously.
• 💡 The human mind naturally leans towards egocentrism, assuming disagreement is wrong and agreement is right.
• 🏛 Historically, many have thought and behaved in ways that were detrimental to their well-being, influenced by societal constructs.
• 🌐 The challenge is to develop a global, explicit, systematic, and free framework for critical thinking, avoiding narrow perspectives.
• 📚 The book 'Frameworks for Thinking' is mentioned as a resource to understand and challenge conventional thinking.
• 🗣️ Critical thinking should be jargon-free and accessible, using natural language to discuss thinking processes.
• 🔍 It's important to recognize the difference between data and interpretation, and to consider various points of view.
• 🚫 Critical thinking aims to avoid unclear, inaccurate, imprecise, irrelevant, narrow-minded, illogical, trivial, and unfair thinking.

Q & A

What is the higher sense of education mentioned in the script?

The higher sense of education refers to the development of critical thinkers who can analyze and evaluate information and situations effectively.

How does the way people think affect their behavior according to the script?

The script suggests that thinking controls human behavior. If individuals think poorly about aspects of their life, such as marriage, investments, or health, it can lead to negative outcomes in those areas.

What factors influence an individual's thinking as described in the script?

Influences on an individual's thinking include their upbringing, family, religion, politics, peer groups, and friends. These factors can shape their thought patterns and perspectives.

Why is it important to control our thinking according to the script?

Controlling our thinking is crucial because it can lead to better decision-making and outcomes. Uncontrolled thinking can result in harmful behaviors and perpetuate negative cycles influenced by external factors.

What is the role of egocentrism in human thinking as discussed in the script?

Egocentrism is described as a natural tendency in humans to believe they are right when others agree with them and wrong when they disagree, reflecting a self-centered bias in thinking.

How does the script relate historical thinking patterns to individual behavior?

The script connects historical thinking patterns, such as those of underlains, slaves, or oppressed people, to behaviors that were often counter-productive to their well-being, influenced by coercion or imposed limitations.

What is the significance of choosing a frame of reference in thinking as mentioned in the script?

Choosing a frame of reference is significant because it determines the perspective from which one analyzes and interprets information, which in turn affects decision-making and actions.

What are the characteristics of the critical thinking framework the script aims to develop?

The script aims to develop a critical thinking framework that is explicit, global, systematic, socratic, and free of constraints. It should be jargon-free and use natural language to facilitate understanding and application by everyone.

Why does the script emphasize the importance of clarity and precision in thinking?

The script emphasizes clarity and precision to avoid thinking that is unclear, inaccurate, imprecise, and irrelevant, which can lead to poor decision-making and ineffective problem-solving.

How does the script view the role of various academic disciplines in critical thinking?

The script suggests that while various disciplines like philosophy, rhetoric, psychology, and sociology are domains of knowledge, none of them control or invented critical thinking. Instead, they all require and can benefit from the application of critical thinking.

What is the script's stance on the use of jargon in critical thinking?

The script advocates for a critical thinking language that is free of jargon and uses the analytic vocabulary of natural languages, making it accessible and understandable to everyone without favoring any specialized terminology.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 The Impact of Thinking on Behavior and Critical Thinking

This paragraph discusses the importance of education in developing critical thinkers and how our thoughts significantly influence our actions and behaviors. It highlights that our thinking is often shaped by our upbringing, family, religion, and societal influences, which can lead to egocentric views. The paragraph emphasizes the need for a framework for critical thinking that is explicit, global, systematic, and free from constraints. It also stresses the importance of clear, accurate, and fair thinking, and the need to develop a model of critical thinking that is accessible and understandable to everyone, without the use of jargon.

05:03

📚 The Role of Information and Point of View in Critical Thinking

Paragraph 2 delves into the sources of information and how our point of view can affect our interpretation of data. It underscores the importance of being aware of one's own perspective and considering alternative viewpoints. The paragraph advocates for clarity, accuracy, and relevance in thinking, and it critiques the tendency of academic disciplines to privilege their own jargon and paradigms. It calls for a broader and more inclusive approach to critical thinking that does not favor any particular field and instead fosters a comprehensive understanding of various perspectives and disciplines.

Keywords

💡Critical Thinkers

Critical thinkers are individuals who engage in reflective and independent thinking, analyzing information objectively to form judgments. In the video, the speaker suggests that education should aim to produce critical thinkers, implying that this is not always the case. The concept is central to the video's theme, as it discusses how thinking controls behavior and the importance of developing a framework for critical thinking.

💡Manifestations of Thought

Manifestations of thought refer to the observable outcomes or expressions of one's thinking processes. The script mentions that one lives amidst manifestations of thought, such as how a person's thoughts about their marriage, investments, or driving can manifest in their behavior and outcomes. This concept is used to illustrate the direct impact of thinking on actions and life experiences.

💡Egocentricism

Egocentricism is the tendency to view things from one's own perspective, often with an inflated sense of self-importance. The video discusses how egocentrism is a natural aspect of human nature, where individuals tend to believe they are right if others agree with them and wrong if they disagree. This concept is highlighted to show how it can limit one's ability to think critically and objectively.

💡Frameworks for Thinking

Frameworks for thinking are structured approaches or systems that guide the way individuals process information and make decisions. The speaker in the video emphasizes the importance of choosing a framework that is explicit, global, systematic, and free from constraints. The concept is integral to the video's message, as it suggests that adopting a proper framework can enhance critical thinking and lead to better decision-making.

💡Socratic

Socratic refers to the method of questioning and discussion used by Socrates to stimulate critical thinking and to draw out ideas and knowledge. In the context of the video, the speaker advocates for a Socratic approach to thinking, which contrasts with a 'sophistic' approach that may rely on superficial or deceptive arguments. The Socratic method is presented as a model for fostering genuine critical thinking.

💡Constrained Thinking

Constrained thinking refers to the limitations placed on thought processes, often due to external influences or internal biases. The video discusses how many people think 'in a box,' meaning their thinking is confined by narrow perspectives that can prevent them from considering a broader range of experiences or ideas. The concept is used to argue for the need to break free from such constraints to achieve critical thinking.

💡Jargon

Jargon consists of specialized terminology or phrases used within a particular field or profession. The speaker in the video argues against the use of jargon in critical thinking, advocating for a language that is accessible and understandable to everyone. The concept is relevant as it underscores the video's aim to make critical thinking a universally applicable skill, not limited to specialists.

💡Point of View

Point of view refers to an individual's perspective or stance on a matter, which is influenced by their experiences, beliefs, and values. The video emphasizes the importance of recognizing one's own point of view and considering alternative viewpoints to achieve a more comprehensive understanding. This concept is crucial for critical thinking, as it encourages open-mindedness and the examination of multiple perspectives.

💡Data and Interpretation

Data refers to raw facts or information, while interpretation is the process of assigning meaning or drawing conclusions from that data. The video script distinguishes between data and interpretation, highlighting the importance of being aware of one's own or others' interpretations, which can be subjective and biased. Understanding this distinction is key to critical thinking, as it involves evaluating the reliability and relevance of information.

💡Paradigm

A paradigm is a set of beliefs, values, or techniques that form a framework for understanding and interpreting the world. The video discusses how fields of study often train people within a particular paradigm, which can limit their ability to think critically and question established norms. The concept is used to critique the way education sometimes reinforces existing viewpoints rather than fostering independent thought.

💡Specialized Language

Specialized language refers to the technical or professional terminology used within a specific domain. The video argues against the use of specialized language in critical thinking, suggesting that it should be accessible to everyone. The concept is important as it relates to the video's message of making critical thinking a common language that can be used across various disciplines and by people from all walks of life.

Highlights

Education should produce critical thinkers, but we're far from achieving that.

Our thinking determines our behavior in various aspects of life, from marriage to investments.

Much of our thinking is influenced by our upbringing, family, religion, and peer groups.

The human mind naturally tends towards egocentrism, assuming its own views are correct.

Many people spend their lives thinking within the confines of societal constructs.

Behavior is often counter-constructed for happiness due to limited thinking frameworks.

The challenge is to decide amidst chaos what frame of reference to use for thinking.

Striving to develop a framework for thinking that is explicit, global, systematic, and free of constraints.

Critical thinking should be free of jargon and accessible through natural language.

Critical thinking terms should be derived from dictionaries, not specialized language.

Everyone should be able to naturally discuss thinking without needing to be a specialist.

Critical thinking should help us monitor our point of view and consider alternatives.

Avoiding unclear, inaccurate, imprecise, irrelevant, narrow-minded, illogical, trivial, and unfair thinking.

Critical thinking should be based on the analytic vocabulary of natural languages, not jargon.

No single academic domain should control critical thinking; all fields need it.

Most fields of study do not effectively open minds or teach the history of their discipline.

Education often trains people in a paradigm rather than encouraging critical thinking.

Transcripts

education

in this higher sense if you think of

education

as producing critical thinkers

then we're far from achieving that

but in any case you live amidst

manifestations of thought

your wife your husband is always

thinking your children are thinking your

neighbors are thinking your colleagues

are thinking

and the way they think determines the

way they behave

if they think poorly about their

marriage

they have a poor marriage if they think

poorly about their

investments they lose money if they

think

poorly while they're driving they may

hurt themselves

or others if they think poorly

about what the foods they eat they may

affect their health

thinking controls human behavior

but do we control our thinking that's

the question

because much of our thinking is the

voice

of us as a child our father

in us our mother and us the religion we

were raised in

in us the politics that we inherited

from our family

or our peer group the way our friends

think all of these are subtle

pressures to think as other people think

and what is natural to the human mind

is to think in such a way as to assume

that if you disagree with me you're

wrong

and if you agree with me you're right

because i am the way and the truth

and the light egocentrism

is natural to the human animal

homo sapiens yes but who is controlling

that thinking

where is that thinking coming from if

you connect this now to the history of

critical thought

you'll see that many people spend their

life

thinking as underlains think thinking as

slaves

think thinking as oppressed people think

and their behavior was often then

counter-constructed for their happiness

they may have spent their life doing

things that were harmful to themselves

either because they were coerced to do

this

or they were taught to do this or they

came to

impose these chains upon themselves

now look at

the frameworks for thinking i mentioned

them

you can get this book frameworks for

thinking and

look at 44 miles

and realize that there is a challenge

then we must pick

amidst the chaos we must decide

what frame of reference we're going to

use

and what we have strived striving to do

is to develop a framework which is

explicit rather than implicit

which is global rather than specialized

which is systematic rather than episodic

which is socratic rather than sophistic

which is free as much as we can make it

free

of constraints

rather than constrained thinking many

people think as we say

in a box and the box can be a very small

box

and we can cut off from ourselves

many potential experiences because we

think in this

narrow way and finally we have striven

to make our model for critical thinking

free of jargon

if you look at the glossary of critical

thinking terms which we've developed

all of those meanings come from the

dictionaries

they come from the oxford english

dictionary they come from webster's new

collegiate dictionary

critical thinking a language for

talking about thinking should not be a

specialized language

it should be a language that everyone

speaks naturally

and we naturally speak as gerald pointed

out about our purposes our goals

we naturally think about our questions

problems issues in our life we naturally

think about

our information based where is our

information

coming from and you don't have to be a

specialist to know

that there's a difference between the

data and the interpretation of the data

from somebody's point of view

you don't have to be a specialist to

know that we have a point of view

and then we should monitor our point of

view and then we should consider

alternative points of view

you don't have to be a specialist to

know that you don't want your thinking

to be unclear inaccurate imprecise

irrelevant superficial narrow-minded

illogical trivial and unfair

each of those terms before themselves

and so we're looking to develop the

field of critical thinking based

on the analytic vocabulary of the

natural languages we speak

no one's jargon should be privileged

philosophy should not be privileged

rhetoric should not be privileged

psychology should not be privileged

sociology should not be privileged

they're all domains of knowledge

but none of them control critical

thinking

none of them invented critical things

and many of them indeed all of them need

critical thinking

they're not just needed but need a lot

more of it

than presently exists in most fields

most fields if you look at

the impact they have on majors at the

university level

do not obviously open their mind

very often what they do is train people

in a paradigm

the present paradigm the present way of

looking at things

most fields of study do not do a good

job of telling their history

and giving us a sense of where they are

and where they're not

but who they've considered and what they

have not

considered