Critical Thinking Education with Chinese Characteristics

Abstract

This chapter considers the development of critical thinking education in China. On the one hand, progress in critical thinking education in China has been made since the late 1990s, including textbooks, courses, articles, projects, conferences, etc. On the other hand, the development in reality is sluggish, difficult, and with undesirable ``Chinese characteristics.'' In our analysis, the most important factors underlying the problems are not traditional Chinese collectivism or difficulties in teaching Chinese students. We argue instead that the main resistance comes from the uncritical cognitive dispositions in the Chinese tradition and the materialistic values of modern Chinese society. Based on this understanding, we outline a strategy for achieving progress and steering critical thinking education to a better and faster track.