THINKING CRITICALLY ABOUT CRITICAL THINKING

"Every real thought about every real subject knocks the wind out of somebody or other." 

Oliver Wendell Holmes, The Autocrat at the Breakfast Table. (1858), 5

There are more than 16,000 school districts in the United States. And nearly all of them boast that they develop ‘critical thinking.’ Click on any of their mission statements and you will find affirmations such as this from the Lordstown Ohio School District: “We believe in the development of critical thinking skills.”  

But imagine what would happen if critical thinking skills actually were effectively taught? Suppose at least some of the youngsters begin skillfully scrutinizing things that really matter. Things like common customs, moral principles, and religious beliefs. In other words, imagine they critically examine the values that direct our lives and define the good, the true, the beautiful? They would certainly be thinking critically. But would educators who encouraged this receive hearty congratulations? Or would they have to flee a rampaging mob of angry, torch-wielding villagers?

Critical thinking is not mere logic chopping. "These are the premises” and “this is the conclusion,” sort of thing. That kind of ‘critical thinking’ is largely toothless. Real critical thinking involves systematically considering those deep assumptions that the vast majority take utterly for granted. And real critical thought also carefully considers basic written authorities, such as the Bible, the Torah and the Constitution.  It also questions the bona fides of the authorities charged with interpreting them. Priests, preachers rabbis, and judges for instance. Are they biased? Are they accurately informed? Are they morally corrupt? Are they of sound mind?  Such considerations really matter because such authorities commonly interpret written authority for the rest of us.

Some argue it isn't necessary to tackle sensitive issues. They say that by making youngsters more aware of crucial thinking skills, they will, sooner or later, bring these tools to bear on the deep assumptions and basic authorities that govern their lives. But there are ample reasons to think they won't. Not usually, anyway. Too many factors, such as the psychological and emotional turmoil, as well as the fear, that critical thought provokes, block this transfer of learning. If you want students to really think critically, you must provide them with direct, well focused and vitally important opportunities to do so. 

The trouble is, if educators were to do this, they had better be prepared to find another job. And we're assuming  teachers are actually capable of critical thought themselves, much less communicate it to students. Most probably aren't.

Plus there are real problems when it comes to parents. How tolerant are they going to be when their kids come home asking unsettling questions? Consider what it takes to qualify for parenthood. Getting pregnant, or making some female pregnant, and a resultant birth. That's about it. With such bare bones qualifications it's quite obvious that there must be plenty of parents who are dumb as rocks, need the emotional reassurance of true belief untroubled by thought, and so forth. And a half-baked complaint from a  group of aroused parents, even those of obviously limited intellect, can and does result in book banning and/or a teacher firings. All it takes is a spineless, or true believing, superintendent and/or some opportunistic or closed minded aspiring politicians on the school board.

Keep in mind, most politicians will say or do nearly anything to get elected. And that ultimately results in some ridiculous school-related legislation. In some states, for instance, classroom consideration of a topic that might distress a student, possibly even make them feel guilty for, say, being white, is now legally verboten. This style of thought-policing is popular with right wing elements of the broad masses and politicians who push it in order to benefit at the polls. Plus the  left-wing "woke" crowd has their own list of topics that must not be critically considered.

Let's face it, in a society as diverse as ours it's nearly impossible to critically consider a wide range of topics in school. Teachers can't possibly encourage critical thinking about anything that matters without it being seriously upsetting to at least some parents and any scheiskopfs on the school board. 

Serious thought is, by its very nature, unsettling. That's the price we must pay to actually grow up. But far too many Americans have never paid that price and, intellectually, remain children. In consequence, they will vehemently discourage teaching anything even vaguely resembling critical thinking. So, while most school districts boast that they teach critical thinking, the relative absence of school-related turmoil testifies that they don't.