The Critical Self

Warren, Karen, 1995, "The Critical Self", Murdoch University

Warren opens with an hypothesis on the importance of applying critical thinking to learning - that without critical thinking, no amount of preparation is sufficient for the learner to fully engage with knowledge or articulate an argument.

She expands this further to say that critical thinking is important in all contexts of life, and is possible even from a young age. Her work with children demonstrated the benefits of applying critical thinking to learning, even from a young age - improvement in classroom discourse, engagement in what is being learned and personal development such as increase in self-esteem.

WHAT IS CRITICAL THINKING?

Warren draws on an definition of critical thinking from Robert Ennis (1981), as "reflective and reasonable thinking aimed at deciding what to do or believe". Operationally, she says this means critical thinking consists of certain skills and dispositions.

Skills such as giving and assessing arguments, claims etc; ordering and classifying information; comparing and contrasting; problem solving; asking questions to clarify or challenge; and using metacognition.

Dispositions such as open mindedness; contextual sensitivity; interpersonal sensitivity (?); sensitivity to contrasting points of view; persistence; decisiveness; and willingness to explore background information.

Warren goes on further to explain that critical thinking is but one aspect of reflective thinking. There are three components, which she calls the "three C's" of reflective thinking - critical thinking, creative thinking and content knowledge. Taken together they produce a whole - critical thinking involves correctness, creative thinking involves richness and novelty, and content knowledge provides the relevant subject matter.

WHAT IS THE NATURE OF A CRITICALLY THINKING SELF?

Warren introduces the rational self by introducing the philosophically dominant western view of the self, time-honoured since Aristotle defined a human being as a "rational animal". No-one totally denies that rationality is what separates humans from non-humans. What is debated however, is what consitutes rationality, what role do emotions and intuitions play. What status does rationality confer onto humans (?are we superior to non-humans?)

She links the reflective self with the rational self by pointing out that part of being a rational self is exercising the skills and dispositions which operationally define critically thinking. While the skills create a common parameter for critical thinking she points out that the critical thinking self is not one kind of self. There is latitude in style and application of critical thinking skills and dispositions, influenced by:

• Culture, world view "The critically thinking self is a socially constructed, historically situated and socioeconomically fashioned self." (Warren, 1995)


• Relational - knowledge is contextual; unlike the Cartesian rational self (objective, impartial, knowing self) the critical self is an embodied, feeling, self-located relational in a community of other similarly situated selves.


• Domain (subject matter) specificity - application of critical thinking skills is affected by the academic discipline or subject matter.

There are also variables introduced by the critical self engaged in creative thinking - open minded, exploring alternate avenues and elaborate on an idea in multiple ways.

Similarly the critical self has relevant background (content) knowledge; the giving and assessing of arguments is not context free.

Warren asserts that "[t]he more reflective a thinker one becomes, the better one is at critical thinking, creative thinking, and gaining the relevant and requisite background knowledge."

WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF CRITICAL THINKING?

Critical thinking is necessary to learning. (I would argue it is useful to learning - since I don't think her statement has been put into context).

• To more fully realise one's potential as a learner (eg. reading the newspaper)


• Essential to the gathering and processing of material, engaging with it


• Personal development - increases one's self-esteem, sense of empowerment


• Living in the Information Age, keeping up with the pace of technologies and events, must have the necessary critical thinking skills to access the knowledge


• Metacognition - in order to transfer a skill to a context other than the one which it was learned it is necessary to metacogitate about the skill (think about the thinking)

METACOGITATE: ask questions at three stages

1. Before a task - define aims and method


2. During a task - check/refine aims and method


3. After a task - review outcome and method