Critical thinking
Critical thinking is a widely accepted educational goal. Its definition is contested, but the competing definitions can be understood as differing conceptions of the same basic concept: careful thinking directed to a goal. Conceptions differ with respect to the scope of such thinking, the type of goal, the criteria and norms for thinking carefully, and the thinking components on which they focus. Its adoption as an educational goal has been recommended on the basis of respect for students’ autonomy and preparing students for success in life and for democratic citizenship.
Hitchcock 2024 Hitchcock, D. (2024). Critical Thinking. In: N. Zalta and U. Nodelman (Eds). The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.