154 Frameworks for Thinking

d Take into account the total situation; and

eBe reflectively aware of their own basic beliefs.

3.Care about the dignity and worth of every person. This includes the dispositions to:

a Discover and listen to others’ views and reasons;

b Take into account others’ feelings and level of understanding, avoiding intimidating or confusing others with their critical thinking prowess; and

c Be concerned about other’s welfare.

Abilities

Ideal critical thinkers have the ability to:

Clarify

1.identify the focus: the issue, question, or conclusion

2.analyse arguments

3.ask and answer questions of clarification and/or challenge

4.define terms and judge definitions and deal with equivocation

Judge the basis for a decision

1.judge the credibility of a source

2.observe and judge observation reports

Infer

1.identify unstated assumptions

2.deduce and judge deductions

3.induce and judge inductions

a to generalisations, and

b to explanatory conclusions

4.make and judge value judgments

Make suppositions and integrate abilities

1.consider and reason without letting the disagreement or doubt interfere with their thinking (suppositional thinking);

2.integrate the other abilities and dispositions in making and defending a decision