Oklahoma State University – Oklahoma City
Critical Thinking
Lecture Notes Four
PHIL 1313
Fall 2022
Contents: What is critical thinking? (Part 4)
Lecture Notes Four
The Skills We Need for Critical Thinking
The skills that we need in order to be able to think critically are varied and include observation, analysis,
interpretation, reflection, evaluation, inference, explanation, problem solving, and decision making.
Specifically, we need to be able to:
Think about a topic or issue in an objective and critical way.
Identify the different arguments there are in relation to a particular issue.
Evaluate a point of view to determine how strong or valid it is.
Recognize any weaknesses or negative points that there are in the evidence or argument.
Notice what implications there might be behind a statement or argument.
Provide structured reasoning and support for an argument that we wish to make.
You should be aware that none of us think critically all the time.
Sometimes we think in almost any way but critically, for example when our self-control is affected by
anger, grief or joy or when we are feeling just plain ‘bloody minded’.
