SOC106-SHS-SG-WK4

FUTURE READY FUTURE SMART PROGRAM

STUDY GUIDE

INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN

Subject
PERSON
Topic Critical Thinking
Level Grade 12
Week Week 4
School Year 1st Quarter/SY 2021-2022

I. Objectives

- Realize that the methods of philosophy lead to wisdom and truth.

- Evaluate truth from opinions in different situations using the methods of
philosophizing.

II. Discussion

Before we discuss critical thinking, answer the items below as a review of the last topic.

Give the 11 types of fallacies discussed in the last module.

1. 5. 9
2. 6. 10.
3. 7. 11.
4. 8.

The method that philosophers use to address questions related to philosophy is critical
thinking. It is the careful, reflective, rational, and systematic approach to questions of very
general interest. Critical thinking means the understanding of philosophy and refraining
from merely giving claims but through careful thought, one reason through
argumentations (Ramos, p.40). A critical thinker person is one that does not simply accept
the idea of others but rather demanding evidence or proof about the subject matter. It
also uses rationality to figure out the good and bad arguments of people. The figure
below shows the attributes of a critical thinker.
1. Looks for evidence to support assumptions and beliefs
2. Looks for proof
3. Rejects irrelevant and incorrect information
4. Examines problem
5. Adjusts opinions

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 SOC106-SHS-SG-WK4

According to (“[C01] What Is Critical Thinking?”) 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.

Another one important idea in critical thinking is curiosity or the desire to acquire
understanding. Curious people are driven by their sense of questioning and giving
answers or solutions to their questions. Closely related to curiosity is the humility of a
person. A critical thinker person is one that acknowledges the limitations of his or her
knowledge. Having this kind of perspective gives one motivation to learn more. For
example, having empathy for others makes a person refocus his or her thoughts to what
others are feeling or thinking. By doing this, a person does not limit his or her idea from
what relying alone on his or her thoughts.

For Maboloc and Pascua (2008), critical thinking is a lifelong process of self-assessment
that further consists of:

• Defining, analyzing, and devising solutions;

• Arriving at reasonable and informed conclusions;
• Applying understanding and knowledge to new and different problems;
• Willingness to change one point of view;
• Continually examining and re-examining ideas; and
• Willingness to say “I don’t know”.

References:
Ramos, C. Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person. Rex Publishing. (2016).
“[C01] What Is Critical Thinking?” PHILOSOPHY@HKU, https://philosophy.hku.hk/think/critical/ct.php. Accessed 15 Apr.
2021.

©2020 Good Samaritan Colleges

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including Page 2 of 2
photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the Good Samaritan Colleges.