Critical Thinking, Reasoning, and Dr.

Aftab Ahmed
Logics
 Contents

• Recap
• Critical Thinking and Reasoning
• Critical Thinking and Logics,

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 Critical Thinking and Reasoning
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 Thinking….?
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Thinking….
• In their most common sense, the terms thought and thinking
refer to conscious cognitive processes that can happen
independently of sensory stimulation.

• Their most paradigmatic forms are judging, reasoning, concept

formation, problem solving, and deliberation.

• The process of considering or reasoning about

something.
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Conti…

• The action of using one's mind to produce thoughts.

• The activity of using your mind to consider something.

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Critical Thinking…
• Critical thinking is a rich concept that has been
developing throughout the past 2,500 years.

• The term "critical thinking" has its roots in the mid-late

20th century.

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Critical Thinking…
• Critical thinking is the analysis of
• available facts,
• evidence,
• observations, and
• arguments
• in order to form a judgement by the application of
• rational,
• skeptical, and
• unbiased analyses and evaluation.
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Conti…
• The objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form
a judgement.

• Critical thinking is the ability to effectively analyze information and

form a judgment. To think critically, you must be aware of your own
biases and assumptions when encountering information, and apply
consistent standards when evaluating sources.

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National Council for Excellence in Critical
Thinking, 1987

A. Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of

actively and skillfully conceptualizing [applying, analyzing,
synthesizing, and/or evaluating] information gathered from
observation [experience, reasoning, or communication] as a
guide to belief and action.

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Conti…
B. In its exemplary form, critical thinking is based on universal
intellectual values that surpass subject matter divisions:
• clarity,
• accuracy,
• precision,
• consistency,
• relevance,
• sound evidence,
• good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness.

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Conti…
• Critical thinking
• — in being responsive to variable subject matter, issues, and
purposes
• — is incorporated in a family of interwoven/linked modes of
thinking, among them:
• scientific thinking,
• mathematical thinking,
• historical thinking,
• anthropological thinking,
• economic thinking,
• moral thinking, and
• philosophical thinking.
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Conti…
• Critical thinking varies according to the motivation
underlying it.

• Critical thinking of any kind is never universal in any

individual

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Conti…
• Critical thinking is self-guided, self-disciplined thinking which attempts
to reason at the highest level of quality in a fair-minded way.

• People who think critically consistently attempt to live rationally,

reasonably, empathically. Linda Elder, September, 2007

• Critical thinking is, in short, self-directed, self-disciplined, self-

monitored, and self-corrective thinking. Richard Paul and Linda Elder,
2008

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Traits of Critical
Thinkers

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Open-mindedness
• Critical thinkers are open and receptive to all ideas and
arguments, even those with which they may disagree.

• Critical thinkers reserve judgment on a message until they have

examined the claims, logic, reasoning, and evidence used.

• Critical thinkers remain open to the possibility of changing their

view on an issue when logic and evidence supports doing so.

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Analytic Nature
• Critical thinkers are interested in understanding what is
happening in a message.

• Critical thinkers ask questions of the message, breaking it

into its individual components and examining each in turn.

• Critical thinkers dissect these components looking for sound

logic and reasoning.
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Systematic by Method
• Critical thinkers avoid jumping to conclusions.

• Critical thinkers take the time to systematically

examine a message.

• Critical thinkers apply accepted criteria or conditions

to their analyses.
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Inquisitive
• Critical thinkers are curious by nature.

• Critical thinkers ask questions of what is going on around

them and in a message.

• Critical thinkers want to know more and take action to learn

more.

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Judicious
• Critical thinkers are prudent in acting and making
judgments.

• Critical thinkers are sensible in their actions.

• That is, they don't just jump on the bandwagon of

common thought because it looks good or everyone
else is doing it.
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Truth-Seeking Ethos
• Critical thinkers exercise an ethical foundation
based in searching for the truth.

• Critical thinkers understand that even the wisest

people may be wrong at times.

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Confident in Reasoning
• Critical thinkers have faith in the power of logic and sound
reasoning.

• Critical thinkers understand that it is in everyone's best

interest to encourage and develop sound logic.

• More importantly, critical thinkers value the power of letting

others draw their own conclusions.
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 Critical thinking is an active mode of
thinking. Instead of just receiving messages
and accepting them as is

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Critical Thinking
and Reasoning

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Critical Thinking and Reason
• Critical thinking involves identifying, evaluating, and
constructing arguments.

• Reasoning: The ability to infer a conclusion from one

or multiple premises.

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Conti…
• Reasoning is a fundamental component of critical thinking.

• It refers to the process of using logic and evidence to analyze, evaluate, and
make judgments or decisions about a particular issue, problem, or argument.

• Reasoning in critical thinking involves a systematic and disciplined approach

to evaluating and making judgments about information, arguments, and
problems.

• It's a skill that can be developed and honed through practice and reflection.
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Effective reasoning in critical thinking
involves the following key elements:
• Clarity: Clearly articulate your thoughts and arguments. Ensure that your ideas are
well-structured and free from ambiguity. Use precise language to convey your points.

• Logic: Apply logical principles to your thinking. This involves making sure that your
conclusions follow logically from your premises. Common forms of reasoning include
deductive (drawing specific conclusions from general principles) and inductive
(drawing general conclusions from specific observations) reasoning.

• Evidence: Base your reasoning on relevant and credible evidence. This may include
facts, data, research, expert opinions, and examples. Avoid relying on unsupported
assumptions or opinions.
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Conti…
• Objectivity: Strive to be objective and unbiased in your reasoning. This means
considering multiple perspectives and being open to changing your mind in the face
of compelling evidence. Avoid letting personal biases or emotions cloud your
judgment.

• Relevance: Focus on the most relevant information and arguments when evaluating a
problem or issue. Avoid getting sidetracked by irrelevant details or tangential points.

• Consistency: Ensure that your reasoning is internally consistent. Your arguments

should not contain contradictions or inconsistencies.

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Conti…
• Coherence: Make sure that your arguments are coherent and well-
connected. Each point should support the overall thesis or conclusion.
• Precision: Use precise language and avoid vague or overly broad
statements. Clearly define key terms and concepts to prevent
confusion.
• Depth: Go beyond surface-level analysis. Dive deep into the issue or
problem to explore its complexities and nuances. Consider both short-
term and long-term implications.

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Conti…
• Critical questioning: Ask critical questions to assess the strength of your own
arguments and those of others. Common critical questions include "What is the
evidence for this claim?" and "Are there alternative explanations or viewpoints to
consider?"

• Argument evaluation: Evaluate the strength and weaknesses of arguments, including

identifying fallacies (errors in reasoning) that may undermine their validity.

• Problem-solving: Apply reasoning to solve complex problems. Break down problems

into smaller, manageable parts, and analyze each part systematically.

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Conti…
• Creative thinking: While critical thinking often involves analytical reasoning, it
should also allow for creative thinking when exploring alternative solutions or
approaches to a problem.

• Decision-making: Use reasoned judgment to make informed decisions.

Consider the consequences and trade-offs of different choices.

• Communication: Clearly and persuasively communicate your reasoning to

others. Effective communication is essential for sharing your ideas and
convincing others of your point of view.
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Universal Standards of Reasoning

All reasoning has a purpose.

All reasoning is an attempt to figure something out, to settle some question, to solve
some problem.
All reasoning is based on assumptions.
All reasoning is done from some point of view.
All reasoning is based on data, information, and evidence.
All reasoning is expressed through, and shaped by, concepts and ideas.
All reasoning contains inferences or interpretations by which we draw conclusions
and give meaning to data.
All reasoning leads somewhere or has implications and consequences.
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Critical Thinking and Logics
• Critical thinking is fundamentally a process of questioning information
and data.

• Logic is the science of how to evaluate arguments and reasoning.

• Using logic, a person evaluates arguments and strives to distinguish

between good and bad reasoning, or between truth and falsehood.

• Using logic, you can evaluate ideas or claims people make, make good
decisions, and form sound beliefs about the world.
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Questions to be addressed…
1.What’s happening? Gather the basic information and begin
to think of questions.

2.Why is it important? Ask yourself why it’s significant and

whether or not you agree.

3.What don’t I see? Is there anything important missing?

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Conti…
1.How do I know? Ask yourself where the information came
from and how it was constructed.

2.Who is saying it? What’s the position of the speaker and

what is influencing them?

3.What else? What if? What other ideas exist and are there
other possibilities?
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Thanks

12/25/2023 Prepared By: Dr. Aftab Ahmed