Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally about what to do or what

to believe. It includes the ability to engage in reflective and independent thinking. Someone
with critical thinking skills is able to do the following :

understand the logical connections between ideas

identify, construct and evaluate arguments

detect inconsistencies and common mistakes in reasoning

solve problems systematically

identify the relevance and importance of ideas

reflect on the justification of one's own beliefs and values

Critical thinking is not a matter of accumulating information. A person with a good memory
and who knows a lot of facts is not necessarily good at critical thinking. A critical thinker is
able to deduce consequences from what he knows, and he knows how to make use of
information to solve problems, and to seek relevant sources of information to inform himself.
Critical thinking should not be confused with being argumentative or being critical of other
people. Although critical thinking skills can be used in exposing fallacies and bad reasoning,
critical thinking can also play an important role in cooperative reasoning and constructive
tasks. Critical thinking can help us acquire knowledge, improve our theories, and strengthen

arguments. We can use critical thinking to enhance work processes and improve social
institutions.
Some people believe that critical thinking hinders creativity because it requires following the
rules of logic and rationality, but creativity might require breaking rules. This is a
misconception. Critical thinking is quite compatible with thinking "out-of-the-box",
challenging consensus and pursuing less popular approaches. If anything, critical thinking is
an essential part of creativity because we need critical thinking to evaluate and improve our
creative ideas.

1. The importance of critical thinking

Critical thinking is a domain-general thinking skill. The ability to think clearly and
rationally is important whatever we choose to do. If you work in education, research,
finance, management or the legal profession, then critical thinking is obviously important.
But critical thinking skills are not restricted to a particular subject area. Being able to think
well and solve problems systematically is an asset for any career.
Critical thinking is very important in the new knowledge economy. The global
knowledge economy is driven by information and technology. One has to be able to deal
with changes quickly and effectively. The new economy places increasing demands on
flexible intellectual skills, and the ability to analyse information and integrate diverse sources
of knowledge in solving problems. Good critical thinking promotes such thinking skills, and
is very important in the fast-changing workplace.
Critical thinking enhances language and presentation skills. Thinking clearly and
systematically can improve the way we express our ideas. In learning how to analyse the
logical structure of texts, critical thinking also improves comprehension abilities.
Critical thinking promotes creativity. To come up with a creative solution to a problem
involves not just having new ideas. It must also be the case that the new ideas being
generated are useful and relevant to the task at hand. Critical thinking plays a crucial role in
evaluating new ideas, selecting the best ones and modifying them if necessary
Critical thinking is crucial for self-reflection. In order to live a meaningful life and to
structure our lives accordingly, we need to justify and reflect on our values and decisions.
Critical thinking provides the tools for this process of self-evaluation.

Good critical thinking is the foundation of science and democracy. Science requires
the critical use of reason in experimentation and theory confirmation. The proper functioning
of a liberal democracy requires citizens who can think critically about social issues to inform
their judgments about proper governance and to overcome biases and prejudice.
Critical thinking is a metacognitive skill. What this means is that it is a higher-level
cognitive skill that involves thinking about thinking. We have to be aware of the good
principles of reasoning, and be reflective about our own reasoning. In addition, we often
need to make a conscious effort to improve ourselves, avoid biases, and maintain
objectivity. This is notoriously hard to do. We are all able to think but to think well often
requires a long period of training. The mastery of critical thinking is similar to the mastery of
many other skills. There are three important components: theory, practice, and attitude.

Theory
If we want to think correctly, we need to follow the correct rules of reasoning. Knowledge of
theory includes knowledge of these rules. These are the basic principles of critical thinking,
such as the laws of logic, and the methods of scientific reasoning, etc.
Also, it would be useful to know something about what not to do if we want to reason
correctly. This means we should have some basic knowledge of the mistakes that people
make. First, this requires some knowledge of typical fallacies. Second, psychologists have
discovered persistent biases and limitations in human reasoning. An awareness of these
empirical findings will alert us to potential problems.

Practice
However, merely knowing the principles that distinguish good and bad reasoning is not
enough. We might study in the classroom about how to swim, and learn about the basic
theory, such as the fact that one should not breathe under water. But unless we can apply
such theoretical knowledge through constant practice, we might not actually be able to
swim.
Similarly, to be good at critical thinking skills it is necessary to internalize the theoretical
principles so that we can actually apply them in daily life. There are at least two ways One is
to do lots of good-quality exercises. Exercises include not just exercises in classrooms and
tutorials. They also include exercises in the form of discussion and debates with other
people in our daily life. The other method is to think more deeply about the principles that

we have acquired. In the human mind, memory and understanding are acquired through
making connections between ideas.

Attitudes
Good critical thinking skills require not just knowledge and practice. Persistent practice can
bring about improvements only if one has the right kind of motivation and attitude. The
following attitudes are not uncommon, but they are obstacles to critical thinking:

I prefer being given the correct answers rather than figuring them out myself.

I don't like to think a lot about my decisions as I rely only on gut feelings.

I don't usually review the mistakes I have made.

I don't like to be criticized.

To improve our thinking we have to recognize that the importance of reflecting on the
reasons for belief and action. We should also be willing to engage in debate, break old
habits, and deal with linguistic complexities and abstract concepts.
The California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory is a psychological test that is used to
measure whether people are disposed to think critically. It measures seven different thinking
habits listed below, and it is useful to ask ourselves to what extent they describe the way we
think:
1. Truth-seeking - Do you try to understand how things really are? Are you interested in
finding out the truth?
2. Open-mindedness - How receptive are you to new ideas, even though intuitively they
do not agree with you? Do you give them a fair hearing?
3. Analyticity - Do you try to understand the reasons behind things? Do you act
impulsively or do you evaluate the pros and cons of your decisions?
4. Systematicity - Are you systematic in your thinking? Do you break down a complex
problem into parts?

5. Confidence in Reasoning - Do you always defer to other people? How confident are
you in your own judgment? Do you have reasons for your confidence? Do you have a
way to evaluate your own thinking?
6. Inquisitiveness
7. Maturity of Judgment - Do you jump to conclusions? Do you try to see things from
different perspectives? Do you take other people's experiences into account?
8. There are many different definitions of critical thinking. Here we list some of the wellknown ones. It can be seen that they all emphasize the importance of clarity and
rationality. Here we will look at some well-known definitions in chronological order.
9. Many people traced the importance of critical thinking in education to Dewey. But
Dewey did not make very extensive use of the term "critical thinking". Instead, in his
book How We Think, he argued for the importance of what he called "reflective
thinking":

10.
... [when] the ground or basis for a belief is deliberately sought
and its adequacy to support the belief examined. This process is
called reflective thought; it alone is truly educative in value ...
11.
Active, persistent and careful consideration of any belief or
supposed form of knowledge in light of the grounds that support it,
and the further conclusions to which it tends, constitutes reflective
thought.
12. There is however one passage where Dewey explicitly uses the term "critical
thinking":

13.
The essence of critical thinking is suspended judgment; and the
essence of this suspense is inquiry to determine the nature of the
problem before proceeding to attempts at its solution. This, more than
any other thing, transforms mere inference into tested inference,
suggested conclusions into proof.Dewey (1910) How We Think, p74.
14.
15. The Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (1980) is a well-known psychological
test of critical thinking ability. The authors of this test define critical thinking as :

16.
... a composite of attitudes, knowledge and skills. This
composite includes: (1) attitudes of inquiry that involve an ability to
recognize the existence of problems and an acceptance of the

general need for evidence in support of what is asserted to be true;

(2) knowledge of the nature of valid inferences, abstractions, and
generalizations in which the weight or accuracy of different kinds of
evidence are logically determined; and (3) skills in employing and
applying the above attitudes and knowledge.
17.
18. A very well-known and influential definition of critical thinking is from Robert Ennis
(1987):

19.
Critical thinking is reasonable reflective thinking that is focused
on deciding what to believe or do.Ennis (1987) A taxonomy of critical
thinking dispositions and abilities. In Baron and Sternberg
(Eds.) Teaching thinking skills: Theory and practice. NY: W.H.
Freeman, pp. 9-26.
20.
21. This definition comes from a statement written in 1987 by Michael Scriven and
Richard Paul, National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking, an organization
promoting critical thinking in the US.

22.
Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of
actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing,
synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or
generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or
communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form,
it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject
matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance,
sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness. It entails
the examination of those structures or elements of thought implicit in
all reasoning: purpose, problem, or question-at-issue, assumptions,
concepts, empirical grounding; reasoning leading to conclusions,
implications and consequences, objections from alternative
viewpoints, and frame of reference.
23.

24. The following excerpt comes from Peter A. Facione (1990) "Critical Thinking: A
Statement of Expert Consensus for Purposes of Educational Assessment and
Instruction", a report for the American Philosophical Association.

25.
"We understand critical thinking to be purposeful, self-regulatory
judgment which results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and
inference, as well as explanation of the evidential, conceptual,
methodological, criteriological, or contextual considerations upon
which that judgment is based. CT is essential as a tool of inquiry. As
such, CT is a liberating force in education and a powerful resource in
one's personal and civic life. While not synonymous with good
thinking, CT is a pervasive and self-rectifying human phenomenon.
The ideal critical thinker is habitually inquisitive, well-informed, trustful
of reason, open-minded, flexible, fairminded in evaluation, honest in
facing personal biases, prudent in making judgments, willing to
reconsider, clear about issues, orderly in complex matters, diligent in
seeking relevant information, reasonable in the selection of criteria,
focused in inquiry, and persistent in seeking results which are as
precise as the subject and the circumstances of inquiry permit. Thus,
educating good critical thinkers means working toward this ideal. It
combines developing CT skills with nurturing those dispositions which
consistently yield useful insights and which are the basis of a rational
and democratic society."

No one always acts purely objectively and rationally. We connive for selfish interests. We
gossip, boast, exaggerate, and equivocate. It is "only human" to wish to validate our prior
knowledge, to vindicate our prior decisions, or to sustain our earlier beliefs. In the process of
satisfying our ego, however, we can often deny ourselves intellectual growth and
opportunity. We may not always want to apply critical thinking skills, but we should have those
skills available to be employed when needed.

Critical thinking includes a complex combination of skills. Among the main

characteristics are the following:
Rationality
We are thinking critically when we

rely on reason rather than emotion,

require evidence, ignore no known evidence, and follow evidence where it leads, and

are concerned more with finding the best explanation than being right analyzing
apparent confusion and asking questions.

Self-awareness
We are thinking critically when we

weigh the influences of motives and bias, and

recognize our own assumptions, prejudices, biases, or point of view.

Honesty
We are thinking critically when we recognize emotional impulses, selfish motives, nefarious
purposes, or other modes of self-deception.
Open-mindedness
We are thinking critically when we

evaluate all reasonable inferences

consider a variety of possible viewpoints or perspectives,

remain open to alternative interpretations

accept a new explanation, model, or paradigm because it explains the evidence better, is
simpler, or has fewer inconsistencies or covers more data

accept new priorities in response to a reevaluation of the evidence or reassessment of

our real interests, and

do not reject unpopular views out of hand.

Discipline
We are thinking critically when we

are precise, meticulous, comprehensive, and exhaustive

resist manipulation and irrational appeals, and

avoid snap judgments.

Judgment
We are thinking critically when we

recognize the relevance and/or merit of alternative assumptions and perspectives

recognize the extent and weight of evidence

In sum,

Critical thinkers are by nature skeptical. They approach texts with the same skepticism
and suspicion as they approach spoken remarks.

Critical thinkers are active, not passive. They ask questions and analyze. They
consciously apply tactics and strategies to uncover meaning or assure their
understanding.

Critical thinkers do not take an egotistical view of the world. They are open to new ideas
and perspectives. They are willing to challenge their beliefs and investigate competing
evidence.

Critical thinking enables us to recognize a wide range of subjective analyses of otherwise

objective data, and to evaluate how well each analysis might meet our needs. Facts may be
facts, but how we interpret them may vary.

By contrast, passive, non-critical thinkers take a simplistic view of the world.

They see things in black and white, as either-or, rather than recognizing a variety of
possible understanding.

They see questions as yes or no with no subtleties.

They fail to see linkages and complexities.

They fail to recognize related elements.

Non-critical thinkers take an egotistical view of the world

They take their facts as the only relevant ones.

They take their own perspective as the only sensible one.

They take their goal as the only valid one.

Critical Thinking Defined

Critical thinking means making reasoned judgments that are logical and well thought out. It is a
way of thinking in which you don't simply accept all arguments and conclusions you are exposed to
but rather have an attitude involving questioning such arguments and conclusions. It requires
wanting to see what evidence is involved to support a particular argument or conclusion. People who
use critical thinking are the ones who say things such as, 'How do you know that? Is this conclusion
based on evidence or gut feelings?' and 'Are there alternative possibilities when given new pieces of
information?'
Additionally, critical thinking can be divided into the following three core skills:
1. Curiosity is the desire to learn more information and seek evidence as well as being open to
new ideas.
2. Skepticism involves having a healthy questioning attitude about new information that you
are exposed to and not blindly believing everything everyone tells you.
3. Finally, humility is the ability to admit that your opinions and ideas are wrong when faced
with new convincing evidence that states otherwise.

Critical Thinking Skills

Scheffer and Rubenfeld discuss critical thinking habits and critical thinking skills. For
each of the critical thinking skills shown below, they give a number of activity
statements.

1. Analyzing

2. Applying Standards

3. Discriminating

4. Information Seeking

Separating or breaking a whole into parts to

discover their nature, functional and
relationships.

"I studied it piece by piece"

"I sorted things out"

Judging according to established personal,

professional, or social rules or criteria.

"I judged it according to..."

Recognizing differences and similarities

among things or situations and
distinguishing carefully as to category or
rank.

"I rank ordered the various..."

"I grouped things together"

Searching for evidence, facts, or knowledge

by identifying relevant sources and
gathering objective, subjective, historical,
and current data from those sources

"I knew I needed to lookup/study..."

5. Logical Reasoning

6. Predicting

7. Transforming Knowledge

"I kept searching for data."

Drawing inferences or conclusions that are

supported in or justified by evidence

"I deduced from the information that..."

"My rationale for the conclusion was..."

Envisioning a plan and its consequences

"I envisioned the outcome would be..."

"I was prepared for..."

Changing or converting the condition,

nature, form, or function of concepts among
contexts

"I improved on the basics by..."

"I wondered if that would fit the situation of

..."

ritical thinking is the disciplined, intellectual process of applying skilful reasoning as a guide to belief or action (Paul,
Ennis & Norris). In nursing, critical thinking for clinical decision-making is the ability to think in a systematic and logical
manner with openness to question and reflect on the reasoning process used to ensure safe nursing practice and
quality care (Heaslip). Critical thinking when developed in the practitioner includes adherence to intellectual
standards, proficiency in using reasoning, a commitment to develop and maintain intellectual traits of the mind and
habits of thought and the competent use of thinking skills and abilities for sound clinical judgments and safe decisionmaking.
Intellectual Standards for Reasoning

Practitioners in nursing who are critical thinkers value and adhere to intellectual standards. Critical thinkers strive to
be clear, accurate, precise, logical complete, significant and fair when they listen, speak, read and write. Critical
thinkers think deeply and broadly. Their thinking is adequate for their intended purpose (Paul, Scriven, Norris &
Ennis). All thinking can be examined in light of these standards and as we reflect on the quality of our thinking we
begin to recognize when we are being unclear, imprecise, vague or inaccurate. As nurses, we want to eliminate
irrelevant, inconsistent and illogical thoughts as we reason about client care. Nurses use language to clearly
communicate in-depth information that is significant to nursing care. Nurses are not focused on the trivial or
irrelevant.
Nurses who are critical thinkers hold all their views and reasoning to these standards as well as, the claims of others
such that the quality of nurse's thinking improves over time thus eliminating confusion and ambiguity in the
presentation and understanding of thoughts and ideas.
Elements of Reasoned Thinking
Reasoning in nursing involves eight elements of thought. Critical thinking involves trying to figure out something; a
problem, an issue, the views of another person, a theory or an idea. To figure things out we need to enter into the
thinking of the other person and then to comprehend as best we can the structure of their thinking. This also applies
to our own thinking as well. When I read an author I'm trying to figure out what the author is saying; what problem or
issue the author is addressing, what point of view or frame of reference he is coming from, what the goal or purpose
is of this piece of writing, what evidence, data or facts are being used and what theories, concepts, principles or ideas
are involved. I want to understand the interpretations and claims the author is making and the assumptions that
underlie his thinking. I need to be able to follow the author's lines of formulated thought and the inferences which lead
to a particular conclusion. I need to understand the implications and consequences of the author's thinking. As I come
to understand the author in-depth I will also begin to recognize the strength and weakness of his reasoning. I will be
able to offer my perspective on the subject at hand with a clear understanding of how the author would respond to my
ideas on the subject.
The Elements of Thought
All thinking, if it is purposeful, includes the following elements of thought (Paul, 1990).
1.
The problem, question, concern or issue being discussed or thought about by the thinker. What the thinker is
attempting to figure out.
2.

The purpose or goal of the thinking. Why we are attempting to figure something out and to what end. What
do we hope to accomplish.

3.

The frame of reference, points of view or even world view that we hold about the issue or problem.

4.

The assumptions that we hold to be true about the issue upon which we base our claims or beliefs.

5.

The central concepts, ideas, principles and theories that we use in reasoning about the problem.

6.

The evidence, data or information provided to support the claims we make about the issue or problem.

7.

The interpretations, inferences, reasoning, and lines of formulated thought that lead to our conclusions.

8.

The implications and consequences that follow from the positions we hold on the issue or problem.

When nurses reason they use these elements of thought to figure out difficult questions and recognize that their
thinking could be flawed or limited by lack of in-depth understanding of the problem at issue therefore, they critically
monitor their thinking to ensure that their thinking meets the standards for intellectual thought.
In summary, as a critical thinker, I am able to figure out by reading or listening critically what nurse scholars believe
about nursing and on what basis nurses act as they practice nursing. To do this I must clearly comprehend the
thinking of another person by figuring out the logic of their thinking. I must comprehend clearly the thinking of myself
by figuring out my own thoughts on the subject at hand. Finally, I must use intellectual standards to evaluate my
thinking and the thinking of others on a given problem such that I can come to a defensible, well reasoned view of the
problem and therefore, know what to believe or do in a given circumstance. To do this I must be committed to
developing my mind as a self-directed, independent critical thinker. I must value above all else the intellectual traits
and habits of thought that critical thinkers possess.
Intellectual Traits and Habits of Thought
To develop as a critical thinker one must be motivated to develop the attitudes and dispositions of a fair-minded
thinker. That is, one must be willing to suspend judgments until one truly understands another point of view and can
articulate the position that another person holds on an issue. Nurses come to reasoned judgments so that they can
act competently in practice. They continually monitor their thinking; questioning and reflecting on the quality of
thinking occurring in how they reason about nursing practice. Sloppy, superficial thinking leads to poor practice.
Critical inquiry is an important quality for safe practice. Nurses must pose questions about practice and be willing to
attempt to seek answers about practice. Nurses must be willing to attempt to seek answers to the difficult questions

inherent in practice, as well as the obvious. Question posing presupposes intellectual humility and a willingness to
admit to one's areas of ignorance as well as, intellectual curiosity and perseverance and willingness to seek answers.
Critical thinkers in nursing are truth seekers and demonstrate open-mindedness and tolerance for others' views with
constant sensitivity to the possibility of their own bias.
Nurse's who are critical thinkers value intellectually challenging situations and are self-confident in their well reasoned
thoughts. To reason effectively, nurses have developed skills and abilities essential for sound reasoning.
Critical Thinking Skills and Abilities
Critical thinkers in nursing are skilful in applying intellectual skills for sound reasoning. These skills have been defined
as information gathering, focusing, remembering, organizing, analyzing, generating, integrating and evaluating
(Registered Nurse's Association of British Columbia, 1990). The focus of classroom and clinical activities is to
develop the nurse's understanding of scholarly, academic work through the effective use of intellectual abilities and
skills. As you encounter increasingly more complex practice situations you will be required to think through and
reason about nursing in greater depth and draw on deeper, more sophisticated comprehension of what it means to be
a nurse in clinical practice. Nursing is never a superficial, meaningless activity. All acts in nursing are deeply
significant and require of the nurse a mind fully engaged in the practice of nursing. This is the challenge of nursing;
critical, reflective practice based on the sound reasoning of intelligent minds committed to safe, effective client care.
To accomplish this goal, students will be required to reason about nursing by reading, writing, listening and speaking
critically. By doing so you will be thinking critically about nursing and ensuring that you gain in-depth knowledge about
nursing as a practice profession.
Critical Thinking...a Holistic Approach
Critical Listening: A mode of monitoring how we are listening so as to maximize our accurate understanding of what
another person is saying. By understanding the logic of human communication - that everything spoken expresses
point of view, uses some ideas and not others, has implications, etc., critical thinkers can listen so as to enter
empathetically and analytically into the perspective of others.
Critical Thinking: 1) Disciplined, self-directed thinking which implies the perfection of thinking appropriate to a
particular mode or domain of thinking. 2) Thinking that displays master of intellectual skills and abilities. 3) The art of
thinking about your thinking while you are thinking in order to make your thinking better: more clear, more accurate, or
more defensible.
Critical Writing: To express oneself in languages required that one arrange ideas in some relationships to each other.
When accuracy and truth are at issue, then we must understand what our thesis is, how we can support it, how we
can elaborate it to make it intelligible to others, what objections can be raised to it from other points of view, what the
limitations are to our point of view, and so forth. Disciplined writing requires disciplined thinking; disciplined thinking is
achieved through disciplined writing.
Critical Reading: Critical reading is an active, intellectually engaged process in which the reader participates in an
inner dialogue with the writer. Most people read uncritically and so miss some part of what is expressed while
distorting other parts. A critical reader realizes the way in which reading, by its very nature, means entering into a
point of view other than our own, the point of view of the writer. A critical reader actively looks for assumptions, key
concepts and ideas, reasons and justifications, supporting examples, parallel experiences, implications and
consequences, and any other structural features of the written text to interpret and assess it accurately and fairly.
( Paul, 1990, pp 554 & 545 )
Critical Speaking: Critical speaking is an active process of expressing verbally a point of view, ideas and thoughts
such that others attain an in-depth understanding of the speaker's personal perspective on an issue. Monitoring how
we express ourselves verbally will ensure that we maximize accurate understanding of what we mean through active
dialogue and openness to feedback on our views. (Heaslip, 1993).