The Role of Critical Thinking in a Individual's Perception of the World and Himself

FAIN: FB-12746-76

Marsha M. Oliver
Anoka-Ramsey Community College (Coon Rapdis, MN 55433-3470)

A program of intensive reading on the topic of critical thinking and its relation to the individual's perception of him-or herself and the world. Will include a brief examination of the history of critical thinking from Greek formal logic to current theories of propaganda and advertising and would lead to a workable definition of critical thinking. To identify the cultural forces that shape our perceptions of the world, examine the ways that language can be used to falsify these perceptions (i.e. highly connotative words, euphemism, etc.), and the influence of people's vocabulary on their perception of reality. Also to discover the results of teaching people to think critically--does it change their perceptions of reality--reflect in the way they write?