Education is the path to developing human beings as citizens of the world. In this context, critical thinking should continue to be encouraged and developed within school environments.
With critical thinking, we can discern essential issues in our surroundings and reflectively give our opinions on them. We can think about sociocultural and political constructs and find our truth within the opinion formed through critical thinking.
Education experts in Brazil recommend: “Aproveite para aumentar seu conhecimento e obter exemplo de artigo científico pronto, aumente seu pensamento crítico e desenvolva a estrutura do seu texto em sites confiáveis como a Sutudybay.” What it means: “Take the opportunity to increase your knowledge and obtain a ready-made example of a scientific article, increase your critical thinking, and develop the structure of your text on reliable sites such as Sutudybay.”
Educational websites that teach students about academic texts, essays, and scientific articles help them to have contact with what others know and form opinions based on their worldviews and diverse teaching methods.
This variety of multidisciplinary knowledge available to students in various web sectors, such as Google Academic, expands the exchange of ideas, stimulates engagement in the scientific world, and increases the ability to think outside the box.
Topics that stimulate critical thinking
Since the advent of the Internet, the world has become much smaller and more integrated. Issues that previously seemed isolated and did not affect us are now seen from a global perspective and begin to affect humans as a race.
In this globalized world, thinking critically to understand and position ourselves on issues that affect us positively or negatively and unite us as subjects with decision-making power in essential matters is important. Some examples of necessary objects of critical thinking include:
- Politics
- Education
- Artificial Intelligence
- Digital Inclusion
- Accessibility
- Eradication of hunger
- Dissemination of fake news
- History and Science
Politics
Critical thinking about politics is one of the most important skills for forming citizens. Understanding one’s rights and duties, what can and should be demanded from authorities and state leaders, and how this affects not only oneself but the population in general is essential for moving towards cleaner and more trustworthy leadership that truly benefits the people as a whole.
Education
The awareness that education is the way to transform lives and entire communities should be a constant topic of debate, especially in universities. Teachers and students who have privileged access to academic education should discuss in their essays the importance of extending education, which has the greatest transformative power.
Critical thinking is formed and strengthened precisely in the places where education takes place, transforming into a chain that will be passed on.
Artificial Intelligence
With artificial intelligence taking over many areas of our daily lives, the debate about how and when to use it is essential. Thinking critically does not mean thinking badly of something but weighing its pros and cons. For example, to what extent should we depend on AI? What are the benefits and disadvantages of its use? How can we take advantage of this technology without becoming entirely dependent and obsolete as thinking minds? This kind of thinking and questioning must be encouraged.
Digital Inclusion
The democratization of digital media makes information and, consequently, education more accessible. The difference between places with and without internet access is striking. But why does this happen? It is vital to consider how this deficit harms the less fortunate in continuing their academic lives and getting better jobs.
Accessibility
Accessibility will never cease to be a relevant topic. This topic continues to be one of the most discussed, especially in paper terms with a social focus. And it is still not discussed enough.
Since the anti-asylum struggle that began in Brazil in the 1970s, we have continued to face difficulties in integrating and giving dignity to people with disabilities. And this is not a problem for just one country, much less a problem that is close to being solved. Therefore, critical thinking must be addressed emphatically in colleges, especially on this topic.
Eradication of hunger
The eradication of hunger is also a subject that will always be on the agenda. This topic touches on many sensitive issues, especially about public policies, international relations, and humanitarian aid. These fine lines can easily be crossed to one extreme or another when discussing responsibility for world hunger.
Dissemination of fake news
How can we not talk about fake news in an article about critical thinking? It is as clear as day that ill-intentioned people take advantage of the lack of critical thinking to make naive people believe in things that can even be considered absurd. Making people think is the responsibility of schools as organizations that promote the exercise of conscience, and it is up to teachers, in particular, to raise the discussion with their students about how more educated people can contribute to the failure of these fallacies.
History and science
Last but not least, critical thinking addresses the sciences as a whole and history. Thinking critically about past mistakes prevents them from being repeated in the present. That is why history books are written.
And history is intertwined with various sciences, which, without the efforts of brilliant pioneering minds of the past, would not benefit from simple things that are indispensable today, such as vaccines, electricity, telephones, anatomy, etc. With this in mind, we see that nothing escapes critical thinking and everything can be subject to it. And if, according to Descartes, we only exist because we think, we cannot stop thinking or we will no longer be what we are.
Education, the pillar of critical thinking
Throughout this article, we have highlighted how important the development of critical thinking is and how it can save humanity from mediocrity. The basis of this thinking is and will always be at the center of collective discussions, where everyone has a voice and a say, or at least it should.
From the Agoras, where philosophers gathered, to schools, universities, and colleges, critical thinking has been praised and valued because those who can think for themselves and evaluate situations from different angles have the power to free themselves from the bonds of the movement of workers in a group that follows orders until they die without questioning why they are doing so.
Finally, it is worth remembering that teachers should always encourage the ability to think critically. Questions are essential and should be heard and discussed. We can reach a middle ground and a shared understanding only with different points of view on the same subject. Without this, there is no civilization or democracy.
- Understanding the Stages of Conflict: A Guide - January 14, 2025
- Unraveling the Power of Peripheral Route Persuasion - January 13, 2025
- Distrust Vs. Mistrust: Using Each Correctly - January 10, 2025