Critical thinking is the process of objectively analysing and evaluating information to form a logical judgment or decision, enabling you to distinguish between facts and opinions, discern underlying assumptions and detect errors in reasoning.
It involves being able to identify all the relevant information, consider different perspectives, and draw a conclusion that is based on empirical evidence or logic rather than personal bias or emotion.
Through critical thinking you can develop informed opinions that are supported by evidence and rational thinking, which allows for confident decision-making.
To become a critical thinker, you need to be open-minded, reflective, and willing to reconsider your beliefs and assumptions. You must be able to evaluate arguments based on criteria such as validity, reliability, and relevance. It is a key component of problem-solving and decision making, and it is crucial for academic and professional success.
In a world where we are deluged with information, critical thinking is more important than ever to be able to successfully navigate the misinformation, fake news, competing theories we encounter every day. Developing this skill has always been a core objective of university education.
See the steps to critical thinking
