The Lighthouse

One way to approach critical thinking in the context of an essay is to break it down into stages.

1. Start by identifying the argument: What is being argued? What reasons/evidence are given?
2. Evaluate/assess the reason/evidence given and arrive at a conclusion (are the reasons/evidence good/bad, strong/weak? why?)

One way to assess/evaluate an argument/reason/article/topic is to ask (and answer!) the following kinds of questions (which ones are relevant will depend on topic and the nature of the evidence/arguments):

• Is there other evidence to support this claim?
• How strong is the evidence?
• Is there any counter evidence?
• Do you agree with conclusions (do they follow from the premises)? Why?
• Are the premises flawed? Why?
• Are there any other weaknesses/limitations?
• Is the method flawed?

And it is important to remember that critical thinking need not be negative, it could be that your assessment/evaluation is positive. So, it can be a good idea to ask positive questions like:

• What are the strengths of this position/argument/evidence?
• What contribution does it make?

Also see:

• http://owll.massey.ac.nz/study-skills/critical-thinking.php http://owll.massey.ac.nz/pdf/studyup-critical-reasoning-handout.pdf
• http://owll.massey.ac.nz/pdf/studyup-critical-reasoning.pdf
• http://owll.massey.ac.nz/pdf/Academic-Writing-Guide-5-Critical-Thinking-and-Other-Useful-Tips.pdf