Thinking about Critical Thinking

Abstract

In this paper I develop a theoretical framework for instruction in Critical Thinking courses which integrates informal logic with both psychological work on error tendencies in human reasoning and the intellectual virtues. I argue that matters of cogency, which concern the content of one's arguments, should be distinguished from matters of reasoning, which concern the actual inferences people draw. Informal logic and the intellectual virtues supply the normative standards for each of these dimensions of critical thinking, and the fallacies and error tendencies supply students with a stock of common errors. Understanding this framework has important pedagogical consequences for how we teach these courses. In particular, instructors ought to aim at developing metacognitive skill at reflection upon the inferences one draws in addition to logical skill in evaluating the cogency of one's arguments. I conclude by drawing concrete lessons for Critical Thinking pedagogy. © Teaching Philosophy, 2013. All rights reserved.