Critical Thinking in 21st Century America Essay Example for Free

Critical Thinking in 21st Century America Essay The intellectual roots of critical thinking date back to the teachings of Socrates, who discovered a method of analytical questioning; known today as â€Å"Socratic questioning,† establishing that one could not rationally justify their assured claims to knowledge. Socrates established that people cannot depend upon those in authority to have sound knowledge and insight. He demonstrated that individuals may have power and high position and yet be deeply confused and irrational. He established the importance of asking questions and thinking deeply before we accept an idea as worthy of belief. Socrates stressed the significance of seeking evidence, closely examining reasoning and assumptions, analyzing basic concepts, and tracing out implications not only of what is said but of what is done. This, I believe, is essential to living a successful and knowledgeable life; question everything and everyone. I strongly agree with Socrates’ idea that we cannot depend upon an individual of higher power to have all-encompassing knowledge and insight solely based on their status. The use of certain words, in just the right way, is enough to make some individuals believe just about anything; most successful lawyers have built their entire careers simply by knowing what to say, how to say it, and when to say it. Although I feel that critical thinking is a necessity throughout life, along with analyzing and questioning everything; I also feel that it is not something that is simply learned. Today, in our contemporary 21st century American society, we are certainly allowed to be and/or trained to be critical thinkers, but it is only certain individuals who will use critical thought to its highest ability to expand their knowledge and open up the mind. These individuals, sometimes rare, have the ability to reflectively question common beliefs and justifications, and use this to carefully distinguish those beliefs that are reasonable and logical from those which lack acceptable evidence or rational foundation to justify a certain belief. Socrates’ practice was followed by many great critical thinkers, such as Plato, Aristotle, and the Greek skeptics, all of whom emphasized that things are often very different from what they appear to be and that only the trained mind is prepared to see through the way things look to us on the surface, misleading appearances, to the way they really are beneath the surface, the deeper realities of life. Critical thinking, amongst many other definitions, is the ability to understand and apply, to infer and to meaningfully investigate given information; the skills needed to see equivalents, comprehend connections, identify problems, and develop justifiable explanations. It identifies bias, and a bias is not necessarily bad; it is simply a preferred way of looking at things. However, critical thinking does not necessarily benefit everyone; it can alter relationships, change attitudes, and cause family and friends to part ways. In light of our readings, many of the individuals we have discussed stress the need for a critical society, but additionally stress that it is not always beneficial, especially for those susceptible to nonsense. John Stuart Mill feared conformism among society as a whole, he saw this as a uniformity which enforced narrow-minded views and illogical rules on those individuals more open-minded and educated. A few years back while researching religion for a paper, I came across Mill’s idea of â€Å"hell belief,† where he argues that the belief in hell is made inconsistently both strong and weak by a total system failure in critical thinking; that hell belief is incompatible with the belief that God is good. He explains that the same mind set that enables them to accept a theory involving these contradictions prevents them from seeing the logical consequences of the theory. Mill’s ideas of â€Å"hell belief† are very similar to those of my own. Many, if not most, people are introduced and expected to abide by a certain religion by the time they speak their first words. Naturally, more often than not, religion and religious values are the first thing that many are taught; however religion allows little, or no room, for critical thinking. Many people carry their religious beliefs and values throughout life, where critical thinkers challenge and question it; they find the stuff that doesn’t quite make sense and demand to know where the logic lies and why exactly they’re supposed to life by these ideas. In Mill’s ideas, people come to believe in it and manage to stay sane about it for the same reason, a lack of critical thinking. In our readings, we see that Bertrand Russell emphasizes the importance of open and free analysis, and the critical need to create education systems that raise open-minded pursuit of knowledge and cautions the dangers inherent in rigid ideologies. I agree with Russell and believe that children should be taught to think critically as soon as they start their education because as adults it is almost impossible to learn, it is not simply a skill you can up and decide you want to possess. If more schools implemented a system that encourages children to keep an open mind and consistently put certain ideas and theories to the test, they would be better prepared for future education, encouraged to socialize with their peers even if they’re not from the same religious or ethnic background, and overall be well prepared for life itself; the habit of questioning everything leads to the development of well-rounded knowledge. When referencing the answers that many of us strive for, Russell explains that if philosophy cannot answer all of our questions, it at least holds the power of asking questions which increase the interest of the world, and show the strangeness and phenomenon lying just below the surface even in the simplest things of everyday life. He identifies a need for a theory of knowledge that will merge what appears to be from what really is, as well as the importance to practice knowledge responsibly. Russell explains to us that in order to make statements or hold beliefs about knowledge, we must be able to substantiate that our knowledge is accurate to reality. Although uncertainty and doubt are Descartes enemy, he wanted to use doubt as a tool or weapon to combat uncertainty. What, if anything, could not be doubted after subjecting all of his knowledge to the acid wash of doubt. The one thing that Descartes concluded could not be doubted was that he was doubting. There has to be an â€Å"I† who is thinking. Descartes famous dictum, Cogito Ergo Sum, means â€Å"I think therefore I am†.

The Titanic Was an Avoidable Tragedy Essay -- World History

Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater – For movie buffs in the 1990s, when you heard someone talking about â€Å"Jack and Rose,† you would probably think Titanic. You would think about the Love and Mystery, Excitement and Suspense. You might hear comments like: â€Å"What a great movie† or â€Å"Oh, it’s just a movie†¦ It wasn’t really that bad.† The latter people would be correct: it was worse. The Titanic was so much more than a movie could ever depict. Death, destruction, terror, sadness: those were the emotions for the people aboard the Titanic. The disaster that is Titanic could have easily been avoided, and the needless loss of life would have been spared, if just minor changes in planning were taken heed of at the beginning of the voyage. Yes, the Titanic had a tragic ending, but life on the ship was far from tragic –until the crash that is. Titanic and her sister ships, Olympia and Britannica, were considered some of the most exquisite ships in the world. The Titanic was called the â€Å"Ship of dreams,† for it was the most elegant of the ships. On Wednesday, March 31, 1909, the keel was laid and construction quickly began soon thereafter. The ship took almost a year and a half to build and was 882 feet 9 inches long, 94 feet wide and 100 feet high to the bridge level. The final cost reached an astounding  £1,500,000 or approximately $7,500,000. Why did Titanic sink you might ask? Had it not been nicknamed the unsinkable ship? Yes it had; however, it was not the only ship called â€Å"unsinkable.† â€Å"Most ships were called unsinkable because they had watertight compartments to limit flooding in case of an accident.† This was also somewhat to excite the people that a new ship was arriving and to also make them feel safer if they decided t... ...thers were afraid since third class passengers were last in line for the very few boats left, they might try to overtake some for themselves and thus put even more people’s lives in danger. With gates locked and everyone gone, they had no way to escape, and, thus, their â€Å"cabin to America† became their watery grave. April 15, 1912-- that day will forever be remembered by many people all over the world. It is sad to look back almost one hundred years ago and think, â€Å"Wow, that really happened, all the people who died really shouldn’t have.† All the needless loss of life is a sad, sad thought. Bibliography Spitz, D.J. Investigation of Bodies in Water. In Spitz and Fisher’s Medicolegal Investigation of Death: Guideline for the Application of Pathology to Crime Investigations, 4th ed. Ed. W.U. & Spitz, D.J. Springfield, Ill.: Charles C. Thomas, 2006. The Titanic Was an Avoidable Tragedy Essay -- World History Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater – For movie buffs in the 1990s, when you heard someone talking about â€Å"Jack and Rose,† you would probably think Titanic. You would think about the Love and Mystery, Excitement and Suspense. You might hear comments like: â€Å"What a great movie† or â€Å"Oh, it’s just a movie†¦ It wasn’t really that bad.† The latter people would be correct: it was worse. The Titanic was so much more than a movie could ever depict. Death, destruction, terror, sadness: those were the emotions for the people aboard the Titanic. The disaster that is Titanic could have easily been avoided, and the needless loss of life would have been spared, if just minor changes in planning were taken heed of at the beginning of the voyage. Yes, the Titanic had a tragic ending, but life on the ship was far from tragic –until the crash that is. Titanic and her sister ships, Olympia and Britannica, were considered some of the most exquisite ships in the world. The Titanic was called the â€Å"Ship of dreams,† for it was the most elegant of the ships. On Wednesday, March 31, 1909, the keel was laid and construction quickly began soon thereafter. The ship took almost a year and a half to build and was 882 feet 9 inches long, 94 feet wide and 100 feet high to the bridge level. The final cost reached an astounding  £1,500,000 or approximately $7,500,000. Why did Titanic sink you might ask? Had it not been nicknamed the unsinkable ship? Yes it had; however, it was not the only ship called â€Å"unsinkable.† â€Å"Most ships were called unsinkable because they had watertight compartments to limit flooding in case of an accident.† This was also somewhat to excite the people that a new ship was arriving and to also make them feel safer if they decided t... ...thers were afraid since third class passengers were last in line for the very few boats left, they might try to overtake some for themselves and thus put even more people’s lives in danger. With gates locked and everyone gone, they had no way to escape, and, thus, their â€Å"cabin to America† became their watery grave. April 15, 1912-- that day will forever be remembered by many people all over the world. It is sad to look back almost one hundred years ago and think, â€Å"Wow, that really happened, all the people who died really shouldn’t have.† All the needless loss of life is a sad, sad thought. Bibliography Spitz, D.J. Investigation of Bodies in Water. In Spitz and Fisher’s Medicolegal Investigation of Death: Guideline for the Application of Pathology to Crime Investigations, 4th ed. Ed. W.U. & Spitz, D.J. Springfield, Ill.: Charles C. Thomas, 2006.

What is Euthanasia?

Euthanasia is one of the most highly discussed topic in society today. It is not morally correct it has to do with killing someone and ruins the intrinsic value of a human being. That is my argument towards euthanasia. Euthanasia goes against nature. Those that oppose say that it is mercy killing, but it is still killing. I am with the majority who are against this so-called mercy killing. Before presenting my arguments, it would be best to define the term â€Å"euthanasia†. Euthanasia can be defined in many ways. Here are categories that fall in with the term euthanasia. â€Å"The term involuntary euthanasia is where the decision is not made by the person who is to die; the patient's life is ended without the knowledge and consent. It is basically a form of murder. Passive euthanasia is to speed up the process of death to a person and stopping some type of support to let that take its course.' (academic, coup) Like: stopping a form of medical procedure, stopping nutrients of food and water and allowing the person to dehydrate or starve to death, with that not delivering CPR. â€Å"The term active euthanasia involves causing the death of a person through a direct action, in response from that person.† (ACADEMIC.COUP) A well-known example of that is the case of Dr. Kevorkian. He gave a lethal dose of medicine to kill a terminally ill patient. Dr. Jack Kevorkian was a retired pathologist who assisted in the deaths of over 130 people. The famous court case of Dr. Jack Kevorkian brought awareness to the controversial issue of euthanasia to the public. â€Å"In Michigan, Dr. Jack Kevorkian was convicted of the second-degree murder because he administered a controlled substance to end the life of Thomas Youk and had prepared a video showing his action and let the video be broadcast on national television (NY Times). A different yet similar situation and legal case would come about Saskatchewan, Canada when a wheat farmer named Robert Latimer would take the question of euthanasia into his own hands. â€Å"Robert Latimer murdered his young daughter, Tracy, on October 24th, 2008. Behind the reasoning of Latimer's act which was immoral is that he couldn't help to see his daughter suffering from a severe form of cerebral palsy and her disability. He killed her by placing Tracy in the back of his car and ran a hose from the exhaust to the cab, while he watched her die. Latimer was then convicted on November 4,1993 of first-degree murder. The year after he was convicted of second-degree murder.† (Inclusion Daily). So the question is: what's the difference between his actions of killing his Tracy who suffers from serious pain, and a doctor who received given permission to kill an individual who is also suffering from pain? Eventually Dr. Jack Kevorkian, and Robert Latimer, were both charged with murder because they chose to practice euthanasia. If murder is prohibited by law because people take murder into their own hands to kill others, then why shouldn't euthanasia be too since doctors kill their patients even if there is consent. A doctor must receive authorization to assist in the death of a patient who is overly sick. Because of this many have questioned why doesn't Robert Latimer have the right to take his own daughters life, since a doctor would have had to ask him anyways to have the right to kill Tracy? Latimer apparently saved his daughter from suffering, which is the same reason many people.

Teens Getting Birth Control Without Parental Consent Essays

Student House ENG 101 Mrs. Johnson 20 November 2012 Teens Getting Birth Control Without Parental Consent Currently Teenagers are trying to grow up too quickly. They want to be just like the TV characters they idolize and will change themselves to do so. There are shows on TV like â€Å"16 and pregnant† that basically insinuate; if you have sex and get pregnant then you will get paid to be on television. Most teens do not go to their parents for birth control because they are afraid. In general teenagers do not want their parents knowing they are having sex. Having access to birth control, with or without the parents permission, can be a touchy subject. With this point, getting birth control without parental consent is a debatable†¦show more content†¦Each shot prevents pregnancy for three months. The shot can be taken in the butt, arm or thigh (Birth control methods). Of course there are plenty more methods but the most popular form of birth control would be the pill. It is an oral drug that must be taken by mouth once every day. Most people would argue that being able to buy birth control as a teen would be good because teen pregnancies would drop. However this does not guarantee teenage pregnancies will drop. If even one pill is forgotten or lost the effectiveness of the pills decrease immensely. This is why having a parent to maybe remind you might be a good thing. â€Å"Statistics show only 35% of teenagers use condoms even though they have access to them.† (Minors Access to Contraceptive Services) The problem is that condoms can also be ineffective due to teens using them improperly or simply not using them at all. A secondary form is always a good extra measure in most cases. To prevent teen pregnancies and the spread of STD’s the practice of safe sex is a necessity. Condoms will protect you from STDs better than not using one at all. STDs affect more teens than teenage pregnancies. If safe sex is not practiced, certain forms of STD’s can later cause more severe probl ems like cancer or even HIV. The most common case from HPV is cervical cancer to girls (Cervical Cancer Soars in Young: Rise in Unprotected Sex Sees Cases Soar.) If young females had a parentShow MoreRelatedEssay about Should Teens Have Parental Consent to Receive Birth Control?928 Words   |  4 Pagesworld today many teens are becoming mothers before they finish high school or before they turn 18. Although some teens are on birth control already many are not because they are afraid to tell their parents which may lead to their parents thinking they are sexually active. Moreover, teens usually find themselves in a professional clinic trying to seek different options of birth control but they are derailed by having parental consent or notification. Many clinics have a policy were teen needs to haveRead MoreShould Teenage Girls Be Allowed For Access Birth Control Without Parental Consent?920 Words   |  4 Pagesallowed to access birth control without parental consent. Each parent has his or her own perspective, and reason behind this issue. Parenting styles help contribute to differing opinions on allowing teenage girls to access birth control without parental consent. Some parents of teenage girls believe they shouldn’t be allowed to access birth control without parental consent because it takes the authority away from them, and promotes sexual activity. Teenage girls can access birth control in some clinicsRead MoreTeenagers And Birth Control Without Parental Consent897 Words   |  4 PagesTeenagers and Birth Control There are many different opinions on whether teenage girls should be allowed to access birth control without parental consent. Each parent has his or her own perspective, and reason behind this issue. 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