Standards of Critical Thinking
Richard Paul, Linda Elder
Clarity
Questions that focus on clarity include
• Could you elaborate on that point?
• Could you express that point in another way?
• Could you give me an illustration?
• Could you give me an example?
• Let me state in my own words what I think you just said. Am I clear
about your meaning?
Accuracy
Questions focusing on making thinking more accurate include:
• Is that really true?
• How could we check to see if that is accurate?
• How could we find out if that
Precision
Questions focusing on making thinking more precise include
• Could you give me more details?
• Could you be more specific?
Relevance
Questions focusing on relevance include
• How is this idea connected to the question?
• How does that bear on the issue?
• How does this idea relate to this other idea?
• How does your question relate to the issue we are dealing
Depth
Questions focusing on depth of thought include
• How does your answer address the complexities in the question?
• How are you taking into account the problems in the question?
• How are you dealing with the most significant factors
Breadth
Questions focusing on making thinking broader include
• Do we need to consider another point of view?
• Is there another way to look at this question?
• What would this look like from a conservative standpoint?
• What would this look like from the point of
Logicalness
Questions that focus on making thinking more logical include
• Does all of this fit together logically?
• Does this really make sense?
• Does that follow from what you said?
• How does that follow from the evidence?
• Before, you implied this, and now you are saying that. I don’t see how
both can be true.
Significance
Questions that focus on making thinking more significant include
• What is the most significant information we need to address this
issue?
• How is that fact important in context?
• Which of these questions is the most significant?
• Which of these ideas or concepts is the most important
What is the most important thing I could do in my life?
• What are the most important things I should try to accomplish this
week, this month, this year?
• How can I help my children become kind, caring, contributing members
of society?
• How can I best relate to my spouse so that she understands the deep
love I feel for her?
• How can I keep my mind focused on the things that matter most to
me (rather than the unimportant trivial details
Fairness
Questions that focus on ensuring that thinking is fair include
• Is my thinking justified given the evidence?
• Am I taking into account the weight of the evidence that others might
advance in the situation?
• Are these assumptions justified?
• Is my purpose fair given the implications of my behavior?
• Is the manner in which I am addressing the problem fair—or is my
vested interest keeping me from considering the problem from alternative
viewpoints?
• Am I using concepts justifiably, or am I using them unfairly in order
to manipulate someone (and selfishly get what I want)?
For example, we often make broad sweeping
generalizations such as
• Liberals are soft on crime.
• Elderly people aren’t interested in sex.
• Young men are only interested in sex.
• Jocks are cool.
• Blondes are dumb.
• Cheerleaders are airheads.
• Intellectuals are nerds.
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