Critical thinking is a collection of skills we use every day that are necessary for our full intellectual and personal development. The word critical is derived from the Greek word kritikos , which means “discernment,” “the ability to judge,” or “decision making.” Critical thinking requires learning how to think rather than simply what to think.
Critical thinking, like logic, requires good analytical skills. Logic is part of critical thinking and is defined as “the study of the methods and principles used in distinguishing correct (good) arguments from incorrect (bad) arguments.”5 Critical thinking involves the application of the rules of logic as well as gathering evidence, evaluating it, and coming up with a plan of action. We’ll be studying logical arguments in depth, in Chapters 5 through 8.
critical thinking A collection of skills we use every day that are necessary for our full intellectual and personal development.