What exactly is critical thinking?

To think critically is to make discerning judgements about the quality of thinking – your own as well as others’. It requires making thinking itself an object of evaluation. We judge the quality of thinking by reference to the norms and methods of good reasoning that have been the subject of philosophical inquiry for millennia. We want to be able to construct logical arguments for our views, not merely assert them as if they should be taken without question, and we can reasonably expect others to do the same.

Given that we can’t see the future, we all need to make decisions under conditions of risk and uncertainty. This can be a source of considerable anxiety.

Whether it’s a study or career choice, a new purchase, or deciding who to vote for, critical thinking helps bring clarity and rigour to decision-making.

Even if the outcome is not as favourable as you hoped, applying critical thinking to the decision-making process gives you the satisfaction of knowing you reasoned to the best of your ability.

A 3-step guide to thinking critically

1. Question your thinking

The first step to enhancing your critical thinking is to practice giving and taking reasons. It requires stepping back and asking yourself “why do I believe this is true?” or “why do I do that?” to consider if your beliefs or actions are grounded in reasons that justify them. This involves thinking about the assumptions that you rely on when you make inferences.

Perhaps you keep getting that old car fixed because of how much you’ve already invested in repairs and maintenance – but assuming that is a reason for continuing to put money towards it is problematic. Decisions should be based on the prospect of future costs and returns, not past investments (this is known as the ‘sunk cost’ fallacy).

2. Test your reasoning on others

The second step is to engage with others in ways that test your reasoning. When participating in a debate, practice giving reasons rather than just making an assertion. This is important for fostering environments that help make critical thinking a part of daily life.

Instead of just asserting a claim, like “Brisbane needs more affordable housing”, a critical thinker will add reasons: “…because that is the only way to reduce the cost of living crisis, promote social inclusion and ease traffic congestion on routes into the city.” They’ll also invite others to disagree: “can you think of reasons why more affordable housing would be a bad thing?”

Inviting others to challenge your thinking and being open to changing your mind on the weight of reasons or evidence is the best way to consider potential biases and develop as a critical thinker. All of us operate in our own echo chambers and cannot always see the non-rational influences that affect our thinking.

When critical thinking becomes a collaborative effort, it is neither confronting nor uncomfortable for participants to question each other’s beliefs and actions. Everyone benefits.

3. Take a critical thinking or informal reasoning course

The third step is to advance one’s critical thinking through training courses. The UQ Critical Thinking Project offers a free online course on the edX platform, META101x: Philosophy and Critical Thinking. There are also free resources available at The School of Thought, created by UQ Critical Thinking Project collaborator, Jesse Richardson.

We are all naturally curious but as we develop, our curiosity tends to wane under the weight of educational curricula and the behavioural patterns we adopt in everyday life. These habits discourage us from asking critical questions and challenging ‘BAU’ (business-as-usual) thinking, which in turn stifles critical and creative thinking.

My biggest piece of advice? Stay curious. Ask questions that challenge assumed norms of behaviour or ways of thinking. And if others ask questions of you, resist simply giving answers. Keep the questions coming – they open new lines of inquiry that create opportunities for further curiosity and critical thinking. Questions are the drivers of discovery and innovation, essential for the knowledge economies of the future.