Why Critical Thinking?

There have recently been a wealth of publications in this area and I suspect that this is due, at least in part, to a recognition that collectively our critical skills are not what they once were.

And yet we live in a world where information is readily available…

Useful Books for Critical Thinking (Bibliography) – all have been consulted to some extent:

Tittle, Critical Thinking – An Appeal To Reason (London: Routledge, 2011)

“Now I have a feeling that this wonderful textbook is about to become standard issue for all under-grad, A-Level and Scottish Higher students of critical thinking. Peg Tittle skilfully and engagingly introduces all the important ideas in a way that should make the subject accessible to all. This, however, is not what sets her work apart. What does that is the clear and concise explanation of why Critical Thinking is an important skill to be practicing in the world in which we live. Tittle clearly believes that her book will help budding philosophers to effectively engage with popular culture fully as well as the standard philosophical texts and I for one agree with her. The worked examples are excellent and encourage exactly this approach to the real world.

Baggini & Fosl, The Philosopher’s Toolkit (Oxford: Blackwell, 2007)

Flew (ed. cons.), A Dictionary of Philosophy (London: Pan Books, 1979)

Baggini, Do They Think You’re Stupid? (London: Granta, 2011)

* all dictionary definitions, unless specified otherwise, are from Apple Dictionary 2003