Critical Thinking on Critical Thinking

Critical thinking has long been a great interest of mine, as I am sure it is for most designers. Analytical thinking goes into everything we do. Our designs are made with a purpose in mind, as such, every decision that goes into that design should be purposeful as well. Therefore the cognitive skills of designers is often more important than their artistic skills. In this text, Mr. Ennis' ideas about what makes an ideal critical thinker are very interesting and insightful, but I have some issues with his statements. The first is the notion that critical thinking can simply be broken down into a list and judged purely on wether it meets his stated criteria. I think the act of critical thinking is largely a subconscious one. The things we are analyzing are often consciously examined, but many of the actions Ennis highlights as dispositions and abilities, I believe come through instinctively. That is not to say that these qualities are inherent, though. I believe that good critical thinking is learned and developed. As we grow and mature so does our capacity for 'solving' complex problems. We begin to discover what issues are relevant and important and which ones might lead us astray. When the answers we come up with end up being right only part of the time or only lead to more complications, we refine our mode of thinking. This is an ongoing process, one that is fueled by observation and experience. While Ennis does a very good job of pointing out many of the abilities and sensitivities a good critical thinker possesses, I think he undermines the whole process by presenting it so systematically without a deeper explanation preceding it. All the dispositions and abilities are made equal in his description, when it may be possible that our minds give more weight and validity to some aspects over others. Take his statement "Care to present a position honestly and clearly" Does it mean if we are not able to present our position as clearly as we see it in our own mind, that our beliefs are any less true? Yes it may affect our overall ability as a critical thinker if we can not present our ideas clearly and recieve suitable feedback, but is this aspect as important as say, identifying the focus. I understand that Ennis' main goal in this text is to help teach others to be better critical thinkers by making aware often overlooked characteristics, of which I think he is successful, but I believe he fails to display the true nature and complexity that is involved.

The other issue I had was that he was referring to an 'ideal' critical thinker. To use such a word, would assume that there is a conception of a perfect critical thinker. What basis does he have to suppose this? Ideal under what circumstances? Is it based on the current socioeconomic culture in which we currently live? He talks about caring about the dignity and worth of 'every' person, which is obviously not possible in every situation. Does that mean he understands that the 'ideal' is unachievable? I think for each person it is going to be different based on their experiences, they will become the type of critical thinker they need to become, to say there is an ideal seems irrational.