Question

A) What steps can you take to become a more fair-minded thinker? Give an example of a time when you were not fair-minded in your thinking.
B) Why do Paul and Elder (2012) argue for intellectual standards in critical reasoning? Which of these standards is most difficult for you? Why?

Answer 1

A) To become a more fair-minded thinker, one should be able to think for themselves, be empathetic, ask questions, stand up for what one knows is right and be fair in every situation.

A moment when I perhaps was not fair-minded was when I was dismissive of a suggestion put forward for a family holiday just because I did not want to go. I failed to be empathetic and fair to the other family members who were looking forward to that trip.

B) Intellectual standards in critical reasoning help to check the quality of the issue at hand. In order to think critically, these standards need to be used as a framework. In my experience, it has always been difficult to be logical. My train of thought often tends to deviate slightly from the issue at hand and the end result can sometimes be a little convoluted.