What is critical thinking

Essay by lekeshiawadeA, July 2004

download word file, 4 pages 5.0

What is critical thinking? What is decision making? Is there a relationship between critical thinking and decision making? The answer is yes. Through out this paper I will define what is critical thinking and what is decision making. I will also examine the relationship between critical thinking and decision making.

Many schools around the world are offering courses to teach students how to become a critical thinker. Companies are asking employees to take critical thinking class, why is that? It is because everyone realizes the importance of critical thinking. What is critical thinking? Critical thinking is a complex set of cognitive skills employed in problem-solving and intellectual consideration and innovation. In another words, critical thinking is thinking that proceeds on the basis of careful evaluation of premises, evidence, and information and draw conclusions as objectively as possible. Another definition of critical thinking would be it is the ability and willingness to assess claims and make objective judgments on the basis of well-supported reasons.

Critical thinking requires thoughtful considerations and examination of all pieces of information, it can be said that it is the ability to look for flaws in arguments and resist claims that have no supporting evidence. A definition given by University of Phoenix's e-textbook, Critical Thinking, is the general term given to a wide range of cognitive skills and intellectual dispositions needed to effectively identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments and truth claims, to discover and overcome personal prejudices and biases, to formulate and present convincing reasons in support of conclusions, and make reasonable, intelligent decisions about what to believe and what to do. Critical thinking is a way of acquiring the habit of precise thinking it can help improve the quality of both professional and personal decisions.

On the other hand, what is decision making? Decision making...