Pali Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 This question was asked by Edge's World Question Center, and 164 scientists contributed responses (varying between a handful of short paragraphs and page-ish long responses, but few are really even a true essay length). The index of this specific question and its responses is here, and page one of the responses is here. There's a lot of good stuff here that's well worth spending some time reading. EDIT: Seems that not all contributors are actual scientists in a technical sense, though all I've seen so far at least maintain some professional ties to science (the most removed profession I've seen so far is a science journalist). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f0xx Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 First, explain to me what does cognitive toolkit exactly mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imoutgoodbye Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 First' date=' explain to me what does [b']cognitive toolkit exactly mean? Cognition is the scientific word for the "process of thought". Your cognitive toolkit is what you use in your way of thinking to reach conclusions. All the "tools" of your mind, if you will. "How we think shows through in how we act. Attitudes are mirrors of the mind." -David Joseph Schwartz "Many highly intelligent people are poor thinkers. Many people of average intelligence are skilled thinkers. The power of a car is separate from the way the car is driven." - Edward De Bono Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f0xx Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 Cognition is the scientific word for the "process of thought". Your cognitive toolkit is what you use in your way of thinking to reach conclusions. All the "tools" of your mind, if you will. "How we think shows through in how we act. Attitudes are mirrors of the mind." -David Joseph Schwartz "Many highly intelligent people are poor thinkers. Many people of average intelligence are skilled thinkers. The power of a car is separate from the way the car is driven." - Edward De Bono So basicly, cognitive toolkit = common sense and logical thinking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jibber Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 No. Cognitive toolkit is how you think and the tools you use to think and reach conclusions/questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f0xx Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 But when you are discussing a subject which you are unfamiliar with, logical thinking and common sense are the only tools you can really use... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imoutgoodbye Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 But when you are discussing a subject which you are unfamiliar with' date=' logical thinking and common sense are the only tools you can really use...[/quote'] You have to break down "logical thinking" and "common sense" further. Those terms are broad and have great depth. But I gotta run to work. You're on the right path, Foxx. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pali Posted January 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 But when you are discussing a subject which you are unfamiliar with' date=' logical thinking and common sense are the only tools you can really use...[/quote'] Logical, objective thinking is not something that usually comes naturally to human beings. Critical thinking is a skill we develop, and like all skills it requires practice and refinement over time to maintain its utility. For example... the very first concept mentioned on page one is "How would you disprove your own viewpoint?" People tend not to think about their beliefs from this angle... in many of the religious discussions we've had on the forums I've asked this specific question many times, and very rarely have I gotten anything close to an answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f0xx Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 Well, you can learn most from a rule by attacking it. I mean, how can you have a viewpoint if you haven't attacked it yourself? Doesn't everyone do that by default? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pali Posted January 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 I mean' date=' how can you have a viewpoint if you haven't attacked it yourself? Doesn't everyone do that by default?[/quote'] It's not just doubting or reconsidering what you believe, but HOW you go about doing that. Critical thinking is not really an innate skill... it's something you have to learn and practice constantly. EDIT: One of my favorites thus far short enough to post here: SUSAN FISKE, Eugene Higgins Professor, Department of Psychology, Princeton University The most important scientific concept is that an assertion is often an empirical question, settled by collecting evidence. The plural of anecdote is not data, and the plural of opinion is not facts. Quality, peer-reviewed scientific evidence accumulates into knowledge. People's stories are stories, and fiction keeps us going. But science should settle policy. I freely admit my bias in favoring this one is that it strongly mirrors things I've said here before many times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imoutgoodbye Posted January 24, 2011 Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 I'm just going to point out there are multiple definitions of critical thinking, but at the heart of all the definitions is the same idea: That you develop autonomous thinking (trusting your own ideas and thoughts to the point you feel validated in defending them when they come under attack) and that you learn to find and differentiate someone's bias and beliefs (which can be different, mind you). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pali Posted January 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 ...that you learn to find and differentiate someone's bias and beliefs (which can be different' date=' mind you).[/quote'] To a degree... we are all biased in favor of our own beliefs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imoutgoodbye Posted January 24, 2011 Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 To a degree... we are all biased in favor of our own beliefs. Pffft. I can separate the two. It's my job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyzarius Posted January 28, 2011 Report Share Posted January 28, 2011 objectivity, impossible for most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pali Posted January 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2011 objectivity' date=' impossible for most.[/quote'] To be absolutely objective I would say is impossible for anyone. What varies is one's degree of objectivity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.