“This does not deny that there is a certain extent to which individuals, in all cultures, are free to develop as they wish, but that freedom itself is in large measure culturally determined, for we are born dependent. Independence and freedom are qualities that we have to learn, and one of the major differences that we will find between our way of doing things and the ways that others do the same things is that whereas we carefully teach the values of freedom and independence, other cultures equally carefully teach the merits of bondage and dependence…” –Turnbull, Colin (Anthropologist), The Human Cycle, Triad/Paladin Books, 1985, p.10
“Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness. It entails the examination of those structures or elements of thought implicit in all reasoning: purpose, problem, or question-at-issue, assumptions, concepts, empirical grounding; reasoning leading to conclusions, implications and consequences, objections from alternative viewpoints, and frame of reference.” -Michael Schiven and Richard Paul
Critical Thinking is “the careful, deliberate determination of whether we should accept, reject, or suspend judgment about a claim, and the degree of confidence with which we accept or reject it.” Moore and Parker, Critical Thinking
“Critical thinking is best understood as the ability of thinkers to take charge of their own thinking. This requires that they develop sound criteria and standards for analyzing and assessing their own thinking and routinely use those criteria and standards to improve its quality.”– Elder, L. and Paul, R. “Critical Thinking: Why we must transform our teaching.” Journal of Developmental Education 18:1, Fall 1994, 34-35.
