Chapter 2

ETHICS AND CRITICAL THINKING

LEARNING OUTCOMES

After studying this chapter, the students should

be able to:

 Differentiate critical thinking from ordinary

thinking
 Identify the nine elements of critical thinking

 Apply the said elements in ethical reasoning; and

 Recognize the importance of critical thinking in

ethical reasoning.
 Critical – refer to something alarming or
threatening.

 Does it?
 Critical – in relation to the thinking process

 Critical thinking is used in this context to

refer to the challenge of making individuals
critics of their own thoughts.
 A critical thinker is someone who has acquired
the disposition and the skills to be his or her own
critic.
 Critical thinking is not confined to the ability
to analyze a given issue.

 It can be used as a tool that can provide better

understanding of the close connection between
acting and thinking.
 Richard Paul and Lina Elder (2014).

 they defined critical thinking as a mode of

thinking, about any subject, content or
problem – in which the thinker improves the
quality of his or her thinking skills by skillfully
taking charge of the structures inherent in
thinking and imposing intellectual standards
upon them.
 Thinking in ordinary mode –such as when one
thinks of what to eat or what to include in a
schedule for the next morning is described as
first-order thinking.

 It is the kind of thinking that makes people

aware of a particular object of thought.
Examples:

 “Drug addiction is wrong”

 “Murder is against the law”

 The moment a person turns his or her attention
to how he or she is thinking instead of simply
what he or she is thinking, then he or she is
ready to engage in the second – order thinking.
 To think about the how and not just what is to
engage in reflection, assessment and
interpretation.

 Therefore, it is not enough to simply state that,

“Drug addiction is wrong”, or “ Murder is
illegal’’ . One must be able to understand as
well as the thought processes that lead to this
conclusion.
 “Unless one commits himself or herself to the
practice of constantly improving the way he or
she thinks, one cannot yet consider himself or
herself a critical thinker”

 Try to have a reflection with this…

 Give an occuring social issue..
 Make a statement about it using “what” (describing the
general knowledge about it)
 And using “how” in a question, resolving having a
reflection, an outcome pertaining to that social issue.

 Example: Covid19

 What:
Covid19 is another term for a severe corona virus that
killed for about 1000 individuals from the different parts of
the world,
 How:
Due to organic eating, and unhygienic food preparations
and environment from the market of Wuhan China, the
widespread transmission of this virus is caused initially
from the respiratory droplets (cough, sneeze, and
interaction) of an infected individual, and in addition, as
for by further research for the recent month of February
2020, airborne is also considered in transmission of the
said virus.
 What:
 Prevention and Treatment
There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus
disease 2019 (COVID-19). The best way to prevent illness is
to avoid being exposed to this virus. However, as a
reminder, CDC always recommends everyday preventive
actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases.

 How:
 Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
 Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
 Stay home when you are sick.
 Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the
tissue in the trash.
 Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
 Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask.
 Wash your hands often with soap and water for
at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the
bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your
nose, coughing, or sneezing.

 Reference:
Corona Virus Disease 2019 (Covid19). (20. February 2020), retrieve from:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-
treatment.html
 Now its your turn…. And explain it in front.