Open AccessThe Problem With Percy: Epistemology, Understanding and Critical Thinking
Author(s) -
Sharon Bailin
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
informal logic
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.368
H-Index - 15
eISSN - 2293-734X
pISSN - 0824-2577
DOI - 10.22329/il.v19i2.2325
Subject(s) - critical thinking , epistemology , parallel thinking , vertical thinking , critical systems thinking , sociology , convergent thinking , psychology , philosophy , social psychology , creative thinking , creativity
Most current conceptions of critical thinking conceive of critical thinking in terms of abilities and dispositions. In this paper I describe a common type of problem students experience with critical thinking and argue that conceptualizations in terms of abilities and dispositions do not provide a way to understand this problem. I argue, further, that a useful way to think about the problem is in terms of epistemological understanding, and that this way of thinking about the issue can provide both pedagogical and conceptual grounding to efforts to foster critical thinking.