Can Critical Thinking Be Taught? Is It A Skill?

Non critical thinkers take their interpretation of facts as though it were correct and absolutely true. They are critical of interpretations that run in conflict with theirs. And while they may be skillful in the science of logic, applying the principles of logic on arguments, they do not apply them on theirs. Non critical thinkers may not be honest or open-minded. They take the easier path towards criticizing other people’s biases and prejudices, but never theirs.

Critical thinking involves oneself in being critical of one’s own perspective. Critical thinking requires certain skills, including the understanding and the application of the principles of logic. Critical thinking skills are: Rationality, self-awareness, honesty, open-mindedness, discipline, and judgement.

But why is it that although people can be ‘trained’ to acquire skills, why is it difficult if not possible to train them to become aware of their own perspective, to be honest, and to be open-minded? Are they then, properly speaking, to categorized as ‘skills’? That may explain why there is a difference between one who is ‘skillful’ and one is ‘experienced’. In other words, one may have mastered the skills, but still lack experience. ‘Experience’ cannot be taught. Experience takes time. However, Time does not ‘cause’ one to become experienced. One may have the skills and years added to his resume; but it does not follow that he has cultivated out of those years of acquired knowledge into wisdom.

And, here is where critical thinking comes in; but not as a ‘skill’. The more I reflect on critical thinking, the more it reveals itself as an ethical value. I do mean to imply that critical thinker is similar to the ‘experienced man’ or the wise man, although these types of men are critical thinkers. I merely want to show that critical thinking as it has commonly been perceived as a set of skills is different from seeing it as an ethical value.

Let us take ‘open-mindedness’ as our first case of treating critical thinking as an ethical value. As an open minded person, you are not closed to other ideas that may oppose to your own. You may be judged as an open minded because despite your advance age, you are capable of learning new things. Now, being open minded towards your own perspective is perhaps the most difficult display of being open minded for the fact it is difficult and painful to be honest about your fears, prejudices and biases. It is difficult because you have long believed in them. It is painful because you have lived by them. And, to judge them – if it comes to that – as untrue, would be tantamount to committing suicide. Hopefully, you persevere and find new, truer set of beliefs to replace the old ones.

Because it is difficult and painful, you are not easily inclined to be open to your perspective. In fact, I don’t think it is possible to be the one to initiate the opening. It’s easy to welcome a friend into your home; but not so a stranger or someone who’s out to hurt you. Being truly open to one’s deepest fears, biases and prejudices would be like welcoming a total stranger into your home. No amount of time and training can make you open the door to a potentially harmful stranger. Critical thinking, in its very core, is not a skill.