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This is always going to be a problem unless critical thinking becomes a skill that everyone accepts as fundamental as reading and math.
by splawn 10y ago
This is always going to be a problem unless critical thinking becomes a skill that everyone accepts as fundamental as reading and math.
- waqf 10y agoIf the propaganda is good enough, I don't think any amount of critical thinking will save you. (For example, critical thinking has helped me to date — I believe — because it's not worth going after me as you only need 50% of the population to win an election. Just as it isn't worth trying to write a Nigerian scam email that's good enough to get me because there is plenty of lower-hanging fruit.)
- splawn 10y agoThats a pretty good point. As far as I know critical thinking is our only "weapon" against propaganda, so I hope you are wrong.
- knz 10y ago> As far as I know critical thinking is our only "weapon" against propaganda, so I hope you are wrong. Speaking up and attempting to educate people if they are buying the propaganda is another "weapon". Of course it isn't always effective but if enough people challenge someone hopefully they may reconsider.
- maxerickson 10y agoCritical thinking is already part of literacy.
- matt_wulfeck 10y agoLooks like we're about as good at it as we are with advanced math.
- maxerickson 10y agoAdvanced math?
- CodeWriter23 10y agoLiteracy does not imply discernment.
- maxerickson 10y agoReading and writing is basic literacy. Accurate analysis of content is still a part of literacy. How you do that without discernment, I have no idea.
- splawn 10y agoI think we are talking about different levels of critical thinking. There is simple reading comprehension as in "I understand the argument you are making" but then there is also a higher version as in "I understand the argument you are making and have weighted it with this criteria"
- maxerickson 10y agoMight just be different levels of ambition. I think people understanding arguments would be a nice step forward.
- splawn 10y agoahh ok, gotcha... we are in complete agreement. EDIT: (I am a perfect example) :D
- CodeWriter23 10y agoI see it like this. Literacy is reading what is printed on the page. Discernment is reading what is not printed.
- ThomPete 10y agoWell a hell of a lot of academics who claim to be critical thinkers didn't critically think about their own bias in this election. Critical thinking is not a shield against your own bias.
- splawn 10y ago>Critical thinking is not a shield against your own bias. You are correct, it is not, but at least it acknowledges that biases are there. Most people don't even know what personal biases are to begin with.
- ThomPete 10y agoBut it isn't and this election proved exactly the opposite of what you claim.
- splawn 10y ago<But it isn't Re-read the comment you responded to. I agreed with you. What is it that you think I am claiming? My only claim (admittedly that I am aware of) is that fake news would have a harder time having impact in a climate where people practiced more critical thinking than they do currently.
- sfaf 10y agoWhich is why access to a competent education is a basic requirement for a functioning democracy. In my opinion, we aren't there yet since there are huge disparities between education quality across the public school system. One solution (IMO) is to standardize funding; today school districts rely on local funding which can result in tremendous funding disparities (and by extension, disparities in education quality).
- ThomPete 10y agoHuh? How is education going to save you from that? Everyone, all the educated critical thinkers were wrong on Trump. Spectacularly wrong.
- CodeWriter23 10y agoWhile I agree in general, critical thinking alone is inadequate if there isn't enough information or information pathways are constricted such that they deliver only biased viewpoints.
- FLUX-YOU 10y agoCritical thinking won't save you from a subtle, deceptive piece of propaganda. Pretending that propaganda and information warfare only affect dumb people is dangerous thinking.
- splawn 10y agoCritical thinking is orthogonal to intelligence, imo. Which is why I think it should be taught with the same importance as reading and math. Perhaps it is a tautology, but as far as I know its the ONLY thing that could save you from a clever piece of false propaganda.