Question

What is the difference between activated ignorance and activated knowledge? Where do you have difficulties “thinking for yourself”? Why does critical thinking demand high levels of intellectual autonomy?

Answer 1

Activated ignorance is we rake into consideartion a particular idea as false which we mistakenly think it as true. Some people believe that activated ignorance make them understand what the real thing is. For eg: many superstitions were swapped because of these activated ignorance, such as all calamities are because of god. Such ignorance helps in understanding true facts or lead to the discovery of the same. Activated knowldge is taking into consideration a knowledge which is not inly true but is insightfully understood and lead us to implications to more knowledge. For: some some students pick up a particular line from a text book ponder over it, read more about that topic, and actively use that idea to the other situations e.g. any philosophy, any historical statement etc.

"Thinking for myself" this is the concept which a mother of a toddler has to do purposely. If she doesn't do she would never get any time. Hence the day runs, doing everything for all and not managing time for oneself.

Critical thinking is logical thinking, there the cultural perspectives, values set by oneself, values taught by the parents etc are all tested. One is very open to new ideas and is ready to try that. There are no restrictions as such while implementing them. So if one holds back due to some or the other cultural or self laid beliefs then critical thinking would not take place. In ctritical thinking one applies all the ideas, tests if the statement is really true or false. One has to fearless, hence for due to all the above mentioned reasons it requires high degree of intellectual autonomy.