Critical Thinking in the Disciplines

Do disciplinary considerations affect how different people define critical thinking? Yesterday's first attempt at defining the term was purposely generic—an attempt to begin formulating my conception of a common view. It might be necessary first to examine critical thinking through the perspective of different domains.

In every discipline, critical thinking would include proper framing of the issue or question and a review of the relevant literature to see what others have learned. Examining different pre-existing positions, theories, or perspectives would be vital. In many cases, narrowing inquiry to a more manageable scope might be needed. In some cases, broadening one's background knowledge would be necessary although it would be hoped that the critical thinker has a sound base of understanding in the domain.

In science, critical thinking would extend into empirical observation and the design of an experiment or a methodology for gathering data in situ. Looking for patterns and anomalies would be a major aspect. The latter also would be part of critical thinking in social science.

Critical thinking about a literary text would be more centered on close reading, looking for patterns and anomalies in the text, identifying any claims being made. Often, existing literary theories would be used as a lens for examining the text or one appropriate theory would be selected as the basis for critical analysis.

Critical thinking about a work of visual art, a musical composition, a dance, or a dramatic performance combines the observation of the physical environment used in science and the textual analysis techniques used in literature.

Critical thinking in writing (here I mean scholarly or practical writing), I think, requires the broadest repertoire of skills because there is more choice involved—what evidence, words, connections to include. Creative writing and making art involve even more choices and require one to go beyond established territory and make more original judgments. However, in those activities, critical thinking is more subjective—the artist can set his or her own criteria.