The Seminar:
Critical Thinking
Engaging Life
Thoughtfully
Extensive printed notes & outline are included for each participant.
Critical Thinking provides a content-laden presentation
on the skills of listening and thinking which are often the tools of philosophers, but which are more useful and necessary in everyday life in the 21st Century. Globalization realities, technology, media, political movements, campaigns, economics and finance issues, advertisements and public relations campaigns, religious movements and churches, charitable causes -- all these make use of ideas and logical presentations by which to engage, inform and convince you of their merit and worth.
How do you hear these, consider their arguments and information, and respond effectively? By thinking critically! And, such critical thinking goes hand-in-hand with on-going adult education. Keep learning or your mind will detach from all the interesting parts of life!
Read an article: Why Adult Education? @ http://ezinearticles.com/?id=1100139
The poet, Goethe, is supposed to have remarked that "Most people would rather die than think; and they do." A bit cynical perhaps, but nonetheless, we have all heard people utter things which just don't ring true to our way of thinking. But, how do you engage such ideas or reasoned arguments which strike you as not quite right, or too simplistic or off balance? Critical Thinking is the means.
"Critical" does not mean that one is "negative" or "complaining." It means being able to look at the information or assertions with sufficient intellectual ability and analytical skills so that you can indeed weigh the evidence, the values and words used to see how true or constructive the position, idea or argument actually is. And of course, your goal is to be clear and truthful AND to change minds!
Read an article: Why Study "Critical Thinking"? @ http://ezinearticles.com/?id=1067300
In a season of political campaign debate, hearing commercial messages, listening to news reports and "spin" placed on messages and statistics -- all these require our most effective "critical" listening and thinking skills in order not to be fooled by nuances and tricks of language!
Critical Thinking involves the effective use of:
- formulating Questions
- making Distinctions
- building Vocabulary
- cultivating proper Language & Grammar skills
- Logic & Reasoning
- a variety of Perceptions & Frames of Reference
- recognizing Errors & the necessity of Change
- engaging in Dialectic & Argument
- making Comparisons & Contrasts
- appreciating the Means & Ends
- trusting your Active & Synthetic Imagination
- accurate Interpretative Skills
- measuring Importance & Urgency
- making Connections
- recognizing Fallacies
- distinguishing between Facts & Assumptions
- Changing Your Mind
- and many more skills.
Who Should Attend?
- You and your spouse, companion, life-partner, friend, business partner, adult children, parents and whomever else with whom you like to engage important issues.
- Any who seriously listen to the on-going political campaign rhetoric: learn how to listen ever more critically and effectively to all political sides!
- High School Juniors, Seniors and College Undergraduates preparing for Intro to Philosophy,Logic or Critical Thinking courses. Learn ahead of time some of the classical critical thinking vocabulary, tools and challenges you will meet in class.
- All preparing for standardized tests or admissions exams: PSAT, SAT, GRE, LSAT, MSAT, Civil Service Exam, the State Bar Exam, and the like.
- Any preparing to go back to school later in life (good for you!) with lots of lived experience.
- Any trying to make sense out of the modern media, political ads and campaigns or modern communications.
- Just about all thoughtful adults!
- Come with another to help each other learn to listen and hear in new ways and with new insights!
