Iran Shows It Has What It Takes

[elganned]

Why, you acquire them from Rush Limbaugh. Or better yet, just let him do the thinking for you and join the "dittoheads". [[Or is that "doodooheads"?)

[ccbatson]

You don't acquire something that is innate...you refine and practice it.

[Detroitej72]

Why, you acquire them from Rush Limbaugh. Or better yet, just let him do the thinking for you and join the "dittoheads". [[Or is that "doodooheads"?)

Well said.

[ccbatson]

Intelligence is a measure of the speed with which a person can acquire knowledge. This is a different entity than critical thinking skills, both are innate however.

[rb336]

Intelligence is a measure of the speed with which a person can acquire knowledge. This is a different entity than critical thinking skills, both are innate however.

wrong again, bats. there is NOTHING innate about critical thinking. nada. zip. zilch. your definition of intelligence is rather --- sophmoric. i suggest you read some Gualtieri [[C. Thomas, MD) to educate yourself

[Sstashmoo]

More RAM, smaller hard drive?

[ccbatson]

Definition: the mental process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information to reach an answer or conclusion

All innate intellectual skills.

[gibran]

neuro scientists claim IQ is tied more to working memory [[short term memory) and remote [[or long term)...both used to be thought of crystallized learning...and innate..now understood to be enhanced trough learning, experiences and cognitive exercises...like teaching ....um mm now what would be more enhancing..teaching to a test or teaching critical thinking skills? while both increase utilization ....teaching critical thinking in math, science and philosophy would be considered a way of increasing our children's knowledge ..but if you like the concept of teaching to tests ...then I hope you have stock in Microsoft's intelligence chip program..you will do great.

[elganned]

"Teaching to the test" vs. "teaching critical thinking" is a false dichotomy. Both should and can be done in parallel, not one to the exclusion of the other.

Critical thinking is a tool; in order for that tool to be of any use, the thinker must have something to use the tool on. He/she needs information. "Information" is what the teaching to the test is all about.

There is no problem with "teaching to a test" if the test measures information we want kids to know: how to properly punctuate and form a sentence; how to divide and multiply; what the specific gravity of water is; who John Milton was, when he lived, and what he wrote; when the War of the Roses was fought, by whom, and where; where Beijing is located, and who lives there; etc., etc.

Bewailing "teaching to the test" is simply setting up a straw man to excuse the fact that we do a lamentable job of inculcating in kids that information which any useful and productive citizen should know--or at least know of--when they graduate.

And Bats, you're wrong. Intelligence may be innate, but critical thinking is not. I have known many intelligent, even brilliant, people who couldn't critically think their way out of the proverbial paper bag, even if they had a sharp piece of glass in hand. They'd still be looking around for a knife.

[rb336]

Definition: the mental process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information to reach an answer or conclusion

All innate intellectual skills.

first, what is the source of your definition?

second, not one of those is an innate skill. they are innate capabilities which require education to learn to use them properly

From www.criticalthinking.com
The Critical Thinking Co.â„¢
"Critical thinking is the identification and evaluation of evidence to guide decision making. A critical thinker uses broad in-depth analysis of evidence to make decisions and communicate his/her beliefs clearly and accurately."

Other Definitions of Critical Thinking:

Robert H. Ennis, Author of The Cornell Critical Thinking Tests
"Critical thinking is reasonable, reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe and do."

Dewey, John
Critical thinking is "active, persistent, and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it and the further conclusions to which it tends [[Dewey 1933: 118)."

Glaser
[[1) an attitude of being disposed to consider in a thoughtful way the problems and subjects that come within the range of one's experiences, [[2) knowledge of the methods of logical inquiry and reasoning, and [[3) some skill in applying those methods. Critical thinking calls for a persistent effort to examine any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the evidence that supports it and the further conclusions to which it tends. [[Glaser 1941, pp. 5-6).

Moore and Parker, Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking is "the careful, deliberate determination of whether we should accept, reject, or suspend judgment about a claim, and the degree of confidence with which we accept or reject it."

all the above are decidedly NON-INNATE. [[see, doesn't my use of caps make it soo much more persuasive? why, i should never bother with giving actual evidence, just use the "BUT IT'S ALL IN CAPS" method of persuasion Bats favors

[ccbatson]

Websters is the source...Apparently, for some folks, it is true that critical thinking is not innate. So, I will qualify my comment as follows:

Most, but not all, human beings use critical thinking skills which are innate and honed by practice and time. Some human beings lack this characteristic and you can identify the high risk group of folks by looking for the Obama bumper stickers on their cars.

[ccbatson]

BTW...as the definition is a form of thinking, and thinking is innate for humans, syllogixtically it is innate.

[rb336]

"syllogixtically" isn't even a word, Bats. it's funny, every time you try to talk syllogistics, you get it wrong..

ok, websters or merriam-websters? it isn't in either of mine [[bound copies) nor is it in their on-line dictionaries. you, sir, are a liar


Webster's Online Dictionary says:

Sorry, this definition page is not yet loaded. Based on your search, we are increasing the priority for crtitical thinking and will race to post it for you if we have it on file. In the meantime, the links below are for public service or indexed to crtitical thinking and may be of interest

M-W says:

The word you've entered isn't in the dictionary. Click on a spelling suggestion below or try again using the search bar above.
No suggestions

Dictionary.com has a definition:

Main Entry: critical thinkingPart of Speech: nDefinition: the mental process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information to reach an answer or conclusion

yet again, decidedly Not Innate

[rb336]

oh, and saying critical thinking is inate because some of the skills required are inate is like saying that the ability to play guitar is inate because we have opposable thumbs and we can hear

[ccbatson]

Check Dictionary.com, however, it is a moot point, because all of the alternate definitions you posted corroborate my argument that it is a type of thinking and thinking is innate.

[rb336]

first, I included dictionary.com's definition, and ALL the definitions indicate it is a learned/cultivated skill.

your comment is, yet again, like saying that the ability to play guitar is inate because we have the ability to use our fingers. or that calculus is inate because we can count

critical thinking is a learned skill, like playing an instrument, or playing tennis or golf, or the butterfly stroke, and one you obviously haven't developed, given your unncritical acceptance of proven bogus material just because it falls in line with your absurd ideology

[ccbatson]

Thinking...a mental process is not learned it is innate. It can be honed as I explained...unless it is a dogmatic liberal on a city forum.

[Detroitej72]

Thinking is not a process encouraged by conservatives. For an example see how they refer to themselves as ditto heads. This means they are unable or indoctrinated to not think for themselves, and to rely on talking points from their faux gods on AM radio and Fox News.

[rb336]

Thinking...a mental process is not learned it is innate. It can be honed as I explained...unless it is a dogmatic liberal on a city forum.

ah, bats, you just admitted I was right all along, as I never said thinking was not inate, but that critical thinking was not inate. by saying it has to be honed you just admitted that, indeed, it is NOT inate. once again, my previous examples make the difference perfectly clear

and it's funny that, in your desperation, not only did you attempt to change the target of the conversation, but you fell into the trap of echoing my comments. BTW, if liberals were driven by dogma, the health insurance reform would be law by now. QED

[elganned]

I am willing to concede the point that "critical thinking", as a subset of "thinking", is innate to humans. However, it is latent and must be developed to be useful--just as tool usage that requires opposable thumbs is innate in all humans, but that doesn't mean that everyone is born with the ability to use tools effectivly.

Bats, you seem to be advocating the position that "either you got it or you don't" when you come out of the chute, that critical thinking skills appear fully-formed like Athena springing from the forehead of Zeus. That is demonstrably not the case or we would see much more evidence of critical thinking in those around us which, lamentably, we do not.

[gibran]

funny thing about absolutism...is that sooner or later you become a hypocrite...we just have to look at the "family values platform" and its staunch supporters...

[ccbatson]

We all have it [[the meaning of innate), the degree to which we exercise it, and the rapidity of it's refinement is individual.

[elganned]

A latent capacity never developed is functionally identical to no capacity at all.

[Sstashmoo]

Elganned must've bought a bag of fortune cookies...

[rb336]

we all have thinking. critical thinking, however, is a set of learned skills. no one is born with those skills