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Dona Warren will be speaking on the topic of critical thinking as part of the L&S Lecture Series.
Prof. to speak on critical thinking
The Pointer
jspra793@uwsp.edu
Ever wondered how an instance of reason works? Is a certain situation, idea or concept good or bad? Can an argument proceed without proof?
Dona Warren, associate professor of philosophy at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, will reveal answers to these questions and more at her lecture, “Thinking well: exploring the intersection between critical thinking and cognitive therapy.”
The lecture will be an expansion from the presentation she gave last summer at the wellness conference.
“Critical thinking is a way of exercising intellectual autonomy,” Warren said. Your mind is “like a virus scanner, so that you don’t just take in a bunch of stuff that’s going to corrupt your hard drive.”
Philosophy major Ellie Jackson took Warren’s critical thinking course last semester.
“Critical thinking can be used to analyze any concept in any field,” Jackson said.
The vast uses of this skill make it a helpful tool for discovering answers to any kind of puzzling situation.
“You become aware of what you’re thinking; beliefs that you had and you’ve forgotten you had them,” Warren said.
Ellen Forde, also a philosophy major, says she uses critical thinking skills on a daily basis but finds them particularly helpful in deciphering moral and ethical dilemmas.
“Critical thinking is tremendously important to our society,” Forde said. “The issues our generation face are so complex that not only does one need to be well informed about an issue, but they need to be able to critically assess the validity of the information and arguments, make connections among ideas and look beyond the surface of the issue.”
While some may feel that critical thinking has a negative connotation, it’s really about thinking rationally.
“Being rational is not the same thing as being cold,” Warren said. “A lot of moral evil can be traced to irrationality at some level.”
The importance of thinking critically seems pertinent, but the skills required entail appropriate education in order to be of use.
“We can’t expect people to just pick it up naturally. It’s a very complicated skill set and it can be taught,” Warren said. College is aimed at “helping people to become intellectual active consumers and producers of knowledge … not just passive recipients of what people tell us.”
The lecture will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 26 in room 321 of the Collins Classroom Center and is free and open to the public.
