Mark McLaren is a retired high school chemistry teacher in Vancouver, BC.  After teaching chemistry 11 and 12 for 21 years and heading up his school’s science department for 15, he developed and taught a successful critical thinking course for the last 5 years of his teaching career. The course exhibited his teaching skills and varied life experiences while presenting concepts and skills important in clear and critical thinking and the development of future leaders of our society.

 

 

Science, reason and critical thinking…

These are the best tools we have for understanding our world, the universe, the multiverse: our existence! Whether it’s our health, our environment, our economy, our religion or our politics, applying a little science, reason and critical thinking can help us make the important decisions that need to be made everyday. They can also help us critically analyze and understand the decisions that others make.

Here are some things to consider or understand when striving to be critical thinkers…

• It is important to be skeptical but not cynical.
• Know the difference between correlation and causation.
• Know the difference between anecdote and evidence.
• Understand our tendency to have cognitive biases.

What’s the harm in enjoying a little pseudoscience or being a little superstitious now and then? In many cases, there might be little or none. When we play the lottery on a day that we feel lucky or when we check our horoscope over coffee for a little amusement, nobody is harmed and who knows, somebody has to win the lottery.  But when we start to make decisions that affect others, that relate to our health, our finances or our environment, the harm done can range from being trivial to being drastic and even deadly.

Whenever possible, use science, reason and critical thinking.