Inquiry: Critical Thinking Across the Disciplines

Volume 26, Issue 3, Fall 2011

Reflections on the Nature of Critical Thinking, Its History, Politics, and Barriers and on Its Status across the College/University Curriculum Part I

This paper is a response to INQUIRY editor Frank Fair’s invitation to me to write a reflective piece that sheds light on my involvement in the field of Critical Thinking Studies (some 35 years). My response is in two parts. The two parts together might be called “Reflections on the nature of critical thinking and on its status across the college/university curriculum.” The parts together have been written with a long term and large-scale end in view. If successful the two parts will shed light on why the critical thinking movement has not yet contributed significantly to human emancipation or to more just and fair-minded communities (world wide). It will also present some strategies for making such a contribution.