The question of the question in critical thinking?

Abstract

The question of the question in Critical Thinking is the same as in logic at large. The basis on which Critical Thinking is taught is usually the logic of deductive premise-conclusion arguments. The basic elements of the logic are propositional. This approach gives no basis for teaching students to think logically about either questions or commands. At the same time questions and commands are an important part of practical life. In either asking or responding to questions it is easy to commit any of several illogical moves. Although the same applies to commands, this paper will focus on questions. We raise the question of coherent systems in which questions occupy a proper place, systems which could form an appropriate theoretical background for teaching Critical Thinking and propose dialogue logic. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.