Any first time readers may not be aware that I am a retired public educator and coach.  I felt it necessary to repeat that bit of information so as to add some substance to my beliefs.  I’m not some “outsider” making judgements regarding a profession.  I am, indeed, an insider.  Additionally, those new to this site, may not realize the importance I place upon “words”, as well as their proper definition and use.  Proper definition and use requires a proper dictionary.  Those facts reestablished, I will move on.

For some time, one of public educations critical buzzwords has been “critical thinking skills”.  This sounds so impressive, that few would argue the importance of critical thinking skills.  I would like to ask, however, what, exactly, are critical thinking skills?  So let’s establish a definition.  All definitions provided are from Webster’s New School and Office Dictionary;  Noah Webster; The World Publishing Company; Cleveland and New York; 1959.

Critical is an adjective meaning nicely exact;  skilled in criticism;  censorious;  pertaining to the turning point of a disease.

Criticize  is a verb meaning to examine or judge as a critic;  to censure; to review.

Criticism is a noun meaning the art of judging and defining the merits of a literary or artistic work;  to censure.

Think is a verb meaning to have the mind occupied on some subject;  to form an opinion by reasoning;  to believe;  to judge;  to imagine;  to recollect; to consider or reflect; to presume;  or a verb meaning to imagine;  to review in mind, or call to mind;  to hold an opinion;  to conceive as possible;  to intend or purpose.

Thinkable is an adjective meaning conceivable.

Conceivable is an adjective meaning imaginable.

Thinking is an adjective meaning having the faculty of thought;  capable of a regular train of thought;  or a noun meaning meditation or judgement.

Skill is a noun referring to expertness in any art or science, aptitude;  or power to discern and execute.

And so, critical thinking skills would probably be more properly worded as “critical thinking skill”, singular, not plural, because according to Noah Webster’s dictionary critical thinking skill(s) would be defined as having the ability, after reviewing available information, to discern if something is conceivable.

A time existed when critical thinking skills would have been defined as common sense.  In some circles, horse sense.  What ever became of common sense?   is common sense really something that has to be taught?  Is common sense something that one can learn from a book?  By the way, how are your critical thinking skills?

Conceivable. Please keep in mind that all pieces of information that some regard as scientific fact, is not scientific fact, because it hasn’t been proven.  In my humble opinion, some hypotheses will never be proven, because they will be found impossible to prove.  Some of these hypotheses, by the way, I find to be inconceivable.  All may not agree with me, but I agree with me.