...The Art of Thinking Clearly Critical Review Colby Wallace Northern Alberta Institute of Technology Abstract This paper is a critical review on Rolf Dobelli’s novel, The Art of Thinking Clearly. It is composed of a literature review and a critical analysis. The literature review section will be a composition of research gathered to: have a better understanding of the books sources, test for sloppy reasoning and get a good understanding of how the book is perceived through reviews. All research will be done through the novel itself, N.A.I.Ts library database and reputable online sources. The information found in the literature review will then be evidence used to determine the answers to the seven key critical questions: 1. What is the source of the article? 2. What kind of publication is it for what audience? 3. What is the main point (thesis) of the article? 4. Are there any new insights about the topic that you did not have before reading it? 5. Do you agree or disagree with its position and evaluation of the topic? 6. How reliable is this particular source as a guide to the truth of the topic? 7. Also, which, if any, of the sloppy reasoning errors can be found in the article? The paper will close with a conclusion that reiterates the papers key points. The Art of Thinking Clearly Critical Review Dobelli, R. (2013). The Art of Thinking Clearly. London: Sceptre. The Art of Thinking Clearly (TAOTC) takes a philosophical look at...
Words: 3399 - Pages: 14
...The Critical Thought Process Critical thinking is the ability for an individual to be exposed to a subject, and be able to objectively form a rational conclusion about the subject. Learning the elements of thought and using a checklist for reasoning allows an enlightened critical thinker to gather the information needed to form a well-balanced conclusion on the subject matter. This is important because the thinker must gather facts, concepts, points of view and etc.; and to look at a situation from all sides and form an unbiased opinion about the issue. By raising in-depth questions, we are able to gather the necessary information to form well-thought out solutions and opinions to the problems and issues presented. By employing these methods of Critical thinking, we are able to develop into more advanced thinkers, who are able to analyze and deduce more thoughtful conclusions. Art is a great example of where critical thinking can be employed. By using the elements involved in critical thinking we are able experience art without bias. We are able to gather the information at hand and infer what message the artist is trying to convey. We must challenge ourselves to experience it from all aspects, and form an unbiased conclusion. We can also use the ideas associated with critical thinking in daily life. These ideas can and should be used in the workplace, education, and social life. Whenever I am presented with a new issue, I try look at it through critical thought...
Words: 524 - Pages: 3
...The school field trip has a long history in American public education. For decades, students have piled into yellow buses to visit a variety of cultural institutions, including art, natural history, and science museums, as well as theaters, zoos, and historical sites. Schools gladly endured the expense and disruption of providing field trips because they saw these experiences as central to their educational mission: schools exist not only to provide economically useful skills in numeracy and literacy, but also to produce civilized young men and women who would appreciate the arts and culture. More-advantaged families may take their children to these cultural institutions outside of school hours, but less-advantaged students are less likely to have these experiences if schools do not provide them. With field trips, public schools viewed themselves as the great equalizer in terms of access to our cultural heritage. Today, culturally enriching field trips are in decline. Museums across the country report a steep drop in school tours. For example, the Field Museum in Chicago at one time welcomed more than 300,000 students every year. Recently the number is below 200,000. Between 2002 and 2007, Cincinnati arts organizations saw a 30 percent decrease in student attendance. A survey by the American Association of School Administrators found that more than half of schools eliminated planned field trips in 2010–11. The decision to reduce culturally enriching field trips reflects...
Words: 1934 - Pages: 8
...Critical Thinking in the Workplace Critical Thinking in the Workplace There is an art and craft to critical thinking and understanding the process can be very overwhelming. According to Paul & Edler, “Critical thinking is the art of analyzing and evaluating thinking with a view to improving” (p. 4). Retaining employees who use critical thinking skills in the workplace is vital for an organization to be successful. Critical thinking helps to improve the decision making process that occurs in the workplace. When staff use critical thinking skills they are better equipped to rationalize the situation presented and deal with it accordingly. When a person can identify, analyze, and evaluate a problem before creating a solution they are thinking critically. This paper will explore critical thinking in the workplace and how thinking challenges can obscure the process of critical thinking. Most people process their thinking based on how and where they were raised, their religious beliefs, values, and ethics. Critical thinking involves analyzing and evaluating ones thoughts while eliminating all the biases one may have acquired overtime. When critical thinking skills are practiced in the workplace mistakes are normally at a minimal. Critical thinking allows employees to make decisions in a clear and concise manner. In the workplace today, most organizations are successful as a result of employing personnel who possess critical thinking skills or by training staff on...
Words: 979 - Pages: 4
...whereby there is lack of uniformity or sameness. In art, diversity could be on; ethnicity, race, religion and geographical location (artscouncil.ie). The main purpose of art is to express the human creative skill and imagination. By using paints and sculptures, art excites emotions to both the artist and the audience. Art is influenced by thoughts which arise from the environment the artist is exposed to. This therefore implies that all artists have different artistic skills and creations (artscouncil.org). It is for this reason that art is said to be diverse. When diversity is embraced, the quality and quantity of art increases as audience can enjoy a wider variety of artistic creations. Paul-Elder model of critical thinking seeks to develop intellectual traits that require consistent use of the elements of thoughts and reasoning held to specified intellectual standards (google.com). Appreciating diversity requires adoption of the Paul-Elder model of critical thinking. One should seek to develop a trait; an open mind that appreciates diversity. This will be achieved by applying elements of thoughts and reasoning that are held to a specific standard. Appreciating that all reasoning has a purpose will ensure that one devotes time, the right state of mind and chooses significant and realistic purposes (Frank 2013). One also needs to appreciate that reasoning has implications and consequences (Paul & Elder 1997). Remember that art is greatly influenced by the thoughts and ideas in...
Words: 493 - Pages: 2
... |Creative Minds and Critical Thinking | Copyright © 2009, 2005 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description In this course, students will analyze the thinking process from a critical and creative perspective. The lives of prominent creative thinkers will be examined to identify the social, historical, psychological, and cultural elements that influenced their development. The salient aspects of creativity will be assessed along with the relationship between creativity and critical thinking. Students will apply critical thinking skills to contemporary creative and scientific thought. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: • University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. • Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Course Materials Ruggiero, V. R. (2009). The art of thinking: A guide to...
Words: 2026 - Pages: 9
...Fine arts and music education should continue in public schools. Anyone exposed to the arts and/or music benefits from life-long advantages. Education in these areas is associated with improvement in mathematics, reading, cognitive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skills. These are very important aspects in life, all of them necessary in order to make a mark on society. Studies also show that involvement in the arts increases motivation, boosts confidence, and also improves concentration and teamwork skills. Again, these are very important aspects in life. Students who are exposed to the arts generally perform better on standardized testing than those who do not. This is due to the academic gain in important subjects such as math and reading, which have a tendency to be tested the most heavily. Also, as stated before, students exposed to the arts gain important critical thinking skills, which is included in most standardized testing. Unfortunately, some school districts fail to recognize the importance of education in the arts. Over the past three decades, art education has been gradually slipping. The result? Lower test scores. I’m sure you can see the correlation. On the bright side, a majority of the United States realize the importance of art education. Forty states require art education in order to graduate from high school. Those 80% of high school graduates in our country more than likely have better jobs and better communication skills. Why? Because they participated...
Words: 286 - Pages: 2
...Persuasive thinking “presents powerful methods to move other minds” (Kirby & Goodpaster, 2007, p. xv). Persuasive thinking the art of changing other people’s perceptions to agree with the ones held. Critical thinking, on the other hand, is the process of rationalizing one’s thought process with the purpose of self-improvement. In essence, critical thinking seeks no selfish objective; instead it promotes intellectual humility, autonomy, integrity, perseverance, courage, fair-mindedness (Paul & Elder, 2006, p. 54). However, when critical thinking is affected by persuasive thinking there is a different determination. In short, it becomes a two edged sword, a powerful weapon. Critical thinking requires the individual to recognize weaknesses and strengths to improve. Similarly, persuasive thinking requires the person to “know thyself” (Socrates) with the objective of moving others or recognize when a person is trying to influence a critical thinkers’ thoughts. Persuasive thinkers analyze themselves to learn about others. Persuasive critical thinkers learn about their bias, how to use likability, recognize motivations, and purposes (Kirby & Goodpaster, 2007, p. 268) to reach other minds. To illustrate, persuasive thinkers identify their bias and learn to suppress it because it becomes obvious to others, who may not share the same preconception, resulting in audience loss. Moreover, persuasive thinkers use the concept of likability to portray an image others will accept with ease...
Words: 332 - Pages: 2
...the book will enlarge your understanding of the thinking process; clarify the important and frequently misunderstood concepts of truth, knowledge, and opinion; identify the habits that corrupt thinking; and show you how to become a more critical reader. ISBN 1-256-46689-1 The Art of Thinking: A Guide to Critical and Creative Thought, Tenth Edition, by Vincent Ryan Ruggiero. Published by Pearson. Copyright © 2012 by Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN 1-256-46689-1 The Art of Thinking: A Guide to Critical and Creative Thought, Tenth Edition, by Vincent Ryan Ruggiero. Published by Pearson. Copyright © 2012 by Pearson Education, Inc. C H A P T E R 1 Developing Your Thinking: An Overview Is thinking an activity that is done automatically, without conscious effort, or one that we can direct? Is daydreaming a kind of thinking? Are feelings an effective substitute for thinking? Do exceptional thinkers experience mental blocks, lapses in concentration, and confusion the same way average thinkers do? Can thinking skill be acquired, or does one have to be born with it? In this chapter, you will find answers to these questions and other basic facts that will enable you to use this book confidently. ISBN 1-256-46689-1 laude is a high school student. His English teacher has just asked the class to identify the theme of the short story they read for homework. When no one answers, she admonishes them, “Class, you’re just not thinking. Get busy and think.” Claude wrinkles up his nose...
Words: 10538 - Pages: 43
...learners we are encouraged daily to look closely at the world around us and to try to understand it through an alert kind of critical thinking, but we are also persuaded to stand outside of this process and reflect on different assumptions, implications and methodologies involved in our relationship to and understanding of the world around us. These processes reconcile the need for creative and critical thinking because both are useful in forming a genuine understanding of the objective world, our relationship to each other and the actual knowledge process used for both. Therefore the question arises for college students which kind of thinking may be prioritized over the other when trying to make sound, valid and “true” claims. As a college learner I understand the process of generating knowledge to occur in both an individual and communal context, therefore different perspectives have to be assessed to arrive at objective truth. When assessing the need for interaction between critical and creative thought in generating knowledge, different perspectives arrive at different answers. For example, one common conception of critical thinking puts it above creative thinking in fundamental ways, asserting that creative thinking is secondary to critical. Another perspective holds that creative thinking sustains any other kind of philosophizing, because this mode of thinking brings into creation the very systems of thought used in the others kinds of philosophizing. I would argue that neither...
Words: 1793 - Pages: 8
...Yashashree Kulkarni Operations & Supply chain Mgmt Date; June 21 Critical and Creative Thinking in Operations And Supply Chain Management The reality of the 21st century is the presence of the VUCA environment that is , volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. This highly dynamic business world, requires the business leaders to think both critically & creatively in order to be successful in their area of expertise. Leaders are expected to be operating at such rapid pace, in this high level of business environment that critical thinking coupled with an ability to be creatively inclined while implementing business decisions and problem solving is paramount to success. Even though critical thinking may seem like a “soft skill” from a distance, it is in fact, a key component for a leader to have, not a luxury but an essential quality. Criticality assesses; Creativity originates. This exemplifying interdependence between these qualities explores and requires the art of questioning critically like Socratic questioning. A leader who constantly questions the norms, to get to the bottom of things and implements the art of questioning questions in order to better reflect on problems is successful professionally.(Boghossian, P. (2006)). Operations and supply chain management is a field of business that requires this art of thinking critically and implementing creatively; these managers in operations are continuously cajoled to think “outside-the-box”; implicitly eschewing that the...
Words: 1519 - Pages: 7
...the Effectiveness of Online Resources in Developing Student Critical Thinking: Review of Literature and Case Study of a Critical Thinking Online Site Erst Carmichael University of Western Sydney, e.carmichael@uws.edu.au Helen Farrell University of New South Wales, h.farrell@unsw.edu.au Follow this and additional works at: http://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp Recommended Citation Carmichael, Erst and Farrell, Helen, Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Online Resources in Developing Student Critical Thinking: Review of Literature and Case Study of a Critical Thinking Online Site, Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 9(1), 2012. Available at:http://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp/vol9/iss1/4 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library: research-pubs@uow.edu.au Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Online Resources in Developing Student Critical Thinking: Review of Literature and Case Study of a Critical Thinking Online Site Abstract A graduate's ability to be a critical thinker is expected by many employers; therefore development of students’ critical-thinking skills in higher education is important. There is also a perception that today’s students are technologically "savvy", and appreciate the inclusion of a technological approach to learning. However, the complexity of the concept of critical thinking and the assumptions about students’ technological skills are ...
Words: 8160 - Pages: 33
...Critical Thinkers and Education A Teachers Goal Bia Mcgrue Scypion EDU372: Educational Psychology Prof. Jimletta Vareene-Thomas 2/20/2016 Critical Thinkers and Education A Teachers Goal Throughout life we are challenged and we encounter an abundance of issues or problems that we need to solve. Some problems that can be resolved effortlessly and efficiently but other obstacles may require a more critical and creative thinking to overcome. When it comes down to thinking to solve problems we depend on our thinking or give some regurgitated answer that we just read. But “much of our thinking, left to itself, is biased, distorted, partial, uninformed, or downright prejudiced” (TCTC, 2016). The purpose of critical thinking is so that we are able to not only accomplish or attain understanding but also so we can assess or check each other’s frame of reference and eventually clarify the question or dilemma at hand. Some would argue whose challenge is it to get students to move pass their beliefs and assumption. Is it on students to dig deeper to gain or find additional tools and information that leads to developing a more in depth thought process. Richard Dawkins expressed that we should “not indoctrinate your children. Teach them how to think for themselves, how to evaluate evidence, and how to disagree with you” (Dawkins, 2015). Picture a student who completes every assignment follows along attentively writes down the notes and answers the questions with the information found...
Words: 3300 - Pages: 14
...Critical thinking... Please wait while I try to put into words what this means, while I contemplate the affect and possible consequences my words might have on my peers and my grade for this forum. I am just kidding! Critical thinking to me is thinking outside of the box, not what is in it the "norm", to have an open mind and try to view yourself from the outside looking in, instead of from the inside looking out. Although I may not agree with everything he says, or even his views, I do agree with what President Obama said in his speech to the Hispanic Chambers of Commerce. "And I'm calling on our nation's governors and state education chiefs to develop standards and assessments that don't simply measure whether students can fill in a bubble on a test, but whether they possess 21st century skills like problem-solving and critical thinking and entrepreneurship and creativity." (Obama) I couldn't agree with this more. In my opinion these standardized tests cannot truly demonstrate how intelligent a person is. Anyone with a little dedication can study for a test and pass it. However, not everyone can look at a problem and try to find a solution without being biased; this is true talent and a sign of intelligence. For example, my boss has many letters after her name. She is academically accomplished with the several degrees she’s accumulated throughout the years. Are those letters supposed to make her a better leader than someone who doesn't? With all her education, she...
Words: 1021 - Pages: 5
...Questions • What do you think is the difference between thinking and critical thinking? Why? • According to the text, good thinking is a habit. Which bad habits to you think hinder your ability to be a good thinker? Why? • What is active listening? How do you think active listening is related to critical thinking? • There are predictable stages through which every critical thinker must pass. Under what circumstances might one regress from one stage to a previous one? In your current stage of development as a critical thinker, have you progressed or regressed to this stage? • Review the following Elder and Paul articles in this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings: o “Critical Thinking: Nine Strategies for Everyday Life, Part I” o “Critical Thinking: Nine Strategies for Everyday Life, Part II” Choose one of the nine strategies. How might you apply it in your life to be a better student? Week Two Discussion Questions • Select three habits that hinder thinking from those discussed in Ch. 3 of The Art of Thinking. How have you struggled with these habits in the past? What can you do to overcome these habits and improve your thinking? • Even though life is dynamic and people go through major and minor changes almost daily, many people are resistant to change. This is especially true in the workplace. How can critical and creative thinking help overcome perceptual blocks that hinder thinking and productivity? If you were a manager and your employees...
Words: 1574 - Pages: 7
