Critical Thinking and Argumentation

Critical thinking is not simply a matter of asserting our opinions on issues. Opinions are often based on subjective feelings and personal preferences, rather than objective knowledge and good reasoning.

Critical thinking requires a thorough examination of the reasons and evidence given in support of different positions on an issue before coming to a final conclusion.

At the heart of critical thinking is the ability to recognize, construct, and evaluate arguments, since arguments are supposed to provide reasons or justifications for beliefs, judgments and decisions.

Critical thinking, as such, can be seen as the ability to evaluate arguments made by others and to construct reasoned arguments of our own.

A critical thinker is someone who: thinks open-mindedly about issues explores issues by raising relevant questions gathers and evaluates information decides what information to accept or reject

examines the arguments made by others makes judgments and decisions based on reason and evidence constructs reasoned arguments to support one’s own point of view thinks logically and communicates effectively

One of the necessary requirements of critical thinking is the ability to make the best use of available information. A critical thinker is someone who always looks for sources of information that are credible, unbiased and accurate.

However, knowing facts and information alone is not enough However, knowing facts and information alone is not enough. We must be able to employ our reasoning skills to evaluate facts and information, put them in context, and see how they are connected.

In a nutshell, critical thinking challenges us to examine facts, theories, and ideas in a systematic and purposeful manner, so that we can make good judgments and decisions based on reason and evidence.

An argumentative essay is a type of writing that requires you to discuss a controversial issue. The purpose of such an essay is to make use of reason and evidence to persuade the reader to accept your point of view.

Before you write, you should research the topic/issue, gather relevant facts and other information, and/or conduct discussions with your groupmates.

You should examine the topic/issue from a variety of perspectives, construct arguments to support your own position, and make sure that all the arguments you use are well supported by reason and evidence.

The first paragraph should provide some background information about the topic/issue. A clear and concise ‘thesis statement’ (i.e. a summary statement of your own position or standpoint) should also be included.

You may further examine or analyze the topic/issue in the next paragraph; for example, you may highlight the moral or social significance of the topic/issue, or provide explanations of its causes and effects.

Next, you need to provide a number of reasons/arguments to support your thesis statement. You should also include a discussion and/or refutation of alternative viewpoints.

Write one paragraph for each reason/argument Write one paragraph for each reason/argument. Each paragraph should be limited to the discussion of one reason/argument. Make sure that every paragraph you write must have some logical connection to the thesis statement.

In the final paragraph, you should draw a clear conclusion that echoes the thesis statement. You may, for example, restate your own standpoint, or propose a workable solution, or end with a call to action.