Critical Thinking
Reasoned habits for examining claims, evidence, assumptions, and conclusions.
Critical thinking is the deliberate examination of a claim and the reasons offered for it. It asks what a statement means, what evidence supports it, what assumptions connect the evidence to the conclusion, and what could count against it. It is a practice of fair inquiry rather than automatic skepticism: a well-supported claim deserves confidence proportionate to its evidence.
Restate the claim precisely, identify its source, and separate observations from interpretation. Check whether the evidence is relevant and representative, look for plausible alternative explanations, and compare independent sources. For a numerical claim, ask about the population, measurement, and time period. Keep track of what would change your mind; this makes the reasoning open to correction.
No checklist removes uncertainty or guarantees neutrality. Expertise, incentives, available evidence, and lived experience can all affect what is noticed. Apply the same standards to claims you favor and claims you oppose, distinguish a person's identity from the strength of an argument, and update conclusions when better evidence appears.
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