You do know that this comment could be posted word for word on a right wing post and everybody would agree with it just as well? The term “critical thinking” alone is so worthless, not to mention “common sense”. Some people justify ancient aliens with that phrasing. I don’t mean to criticize you, I just have this thought so often when scrolling through this polarized world… And I really don’t know what to do about it. Everything feels so lost.
The term “critical thinking” alone is so worthless
No, it’s not. There’s a very specific definition - to think critically, i.e. to not accept any idea without first investigating it and analysing its merit. That’s the absolute basis of all philosophy and science.
Critical thinking and common sense are not even close to being the same. Perhaps finding the definition of critical thinking would be a prudent thing before dismissing it as a buzz word.
Talking on the internet is such a weird thing. Where did I say that those two things are the same? Did you not hear my cry for help in the statement above? Instead of going for the attack?
I have this thought a lot too when people discuss things like teaching “media literacy”. I dunno. I’ve seen enough people completely abuse logical fallacies that I really wonder whether or not we’re all logically consistent conscious beings, or if we’re all just kind of flying by the emotionally charged pants seats, and making shit up later to retroactively justify it. People cry strawman, red herring, goalpost moving, when realistically people are just changing the subject to something that they think they know more on, because things aren’t formalized into a rigorous debate where everything is organized and structured and we all actually know what the definitions of things are supposed to be. It’s hard enough to get people to even agree on a definition, because people are so insulated to their little bubbles. Getting past that semantic difference and into the actual debate seems more to me like a structural problem, where people are arguing with the wrong people, than like, a problem you could solve with just raw education. Seems like a structural problem related to the death of the monoculture, and the rapid propagation of regional cultures, even regional cultures online.
At least one person seems to get my dilemma. Thank you. I’m really looking for help on this one. Just to find a way to solve this riddle for better understanding.
You do know that this comment could be posted word for word on a right wing post and everybody would agree with it just as well? The term “critical thinking” alone is so worthless, not to mention “common sense”. Some people justify ancient aliens with that phrasing. I don’t mean to criticize you, I just have this thought so often when scrolling through this polarized world… And I really don’t know what to do about it. Everything feels so lost.
No, it’s not. There’s a very specific definition - to think critically, i.e. to not accept any idea without first investigating it and analysing its merit. That’s the absolute basis of all philosophy and science.
Critical thinking and common sense are not even close to being the same. Perhaps finding the definition of critical thinking would be a prudent thing before dismissing it as a buzz word.
Talking on the internet is such a weird thing. Where did I say that those two things are the same? Did you not hear my cry for help in the statement above? Instead of going for the attack?
I have this thought a lot too when people discuss things like teaching “media literacy”. I dunno. I’ve seen enough people completely abuse logical fallacies that I really wonder whether or not we’re all logically consistent conscious beings, or if we’re all just kind of flying by the emotionally charged pants seats, and making shit up later to retroactively justify it. People cry strawman, red herring, goalpost moving, when realistically people are just changing the subject to something that they think they know more on, because things aren’t formalized into a rigorous debate where everything is organized and structured and we all actually know what the definitions of things are supposed to be. It’s hard enough to get people to even agree on a definition, because people are so insulated to their little bubbles. Getting past that semantic difference and into the actual debate seems more to me like a structural problem, where people are arguing with the wrong people, than like, a problem you could solve with just raw education. Seems like a structural problem related to the death of the monoculture, and the rapid propagation of regional cultures, even regional cultures online.
At least one person seems to get my dilemma. Thank you. I’m really looking for help on this one. Just to find a way to solve this riddle for better understanding.