{"ops":[{"insert":"In Robert Reich’s Town Hall You-Tube talk he provided a clear overview of the dramatic change in circumstances from the 1960’s to 2016 that predisposed to the broad acceptance of Trump. Having lived through the Great Depression and WW2 the adult generation of the 60’s had a sense of interdependence and shared ideals for “The Common Good” that were reflected in JFK’s famous calling: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”. Belief that the government does the right thing most, or all of the time, declined from 71% in 1963 to 16% in 2016 associated with numerous government cover-ups and actions such as Watergate, Vietnam war, and the Iran-Contra affair, etc. A result was a prevailing belief that the rich were doing well while the common person was being left behind (e.g. stagnant wages for decades), creating an environment ripe for a “demigod” to step in and for blame to be directed to others (e.g. existing government, immigrants, big tech, etc.).\n\nHe also provided an interesting take on capitalism where he stated it was not capitalism itself that is the problem, rather it’s how capitalism is organised. He believes capitalism could be organised to contribute to the common good but it would require fairer access to private property and goods and services through strategies such as Universal Basic Income, funded through increasing tax on the wealthy.\n\nHe finished with a lovely description of what he calls “Eloquent listening” that links to an earlier statement he made that the “best way to learn is to talk to people who disagree with you”, noting that people tend to stay in their own bubble and don’t talk to others (e.g. with different political, religious, etc. beliefs) and, as such, limit their opportunity to learn. He explained that Eloquent listening was the process of listening to something you may not like, then repeating what you heard to make sure you got it right, AND being open to change on the basis of what you hear. This is analogous to the Intellectual Trait/Virtue of “Intellectual Courage” as described and promoted in the Paul & Elder framework of critical thinking.\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Thoughts on Henry Fielding book \"The History of Tom Jones\""},{"insert":"\n\nHaving recently completed reading and discussing this excellent novel written in 1749 I have drafted a summary of some of the key ideas I believe Fielding was conveying in his book, presented as Fielding may have put them (recognizing I have not captured the old English style he would have spoken). These ideas nicely complement the ideas found in many of our previous study group readings, reinforcing my ongoing learning. I highly recommend the book, especially when the messages contained through the story are sought, reflected on, and related back to your own thinking and life. Initially the book can seem tedious at times as Fielding regularly diverts from the story to make what may seem irrelevant points. However, for me at least, I can see my impatience has been learned through prior superficial readings of books focusing on the plot and wanting to know what happens next. When I was able to relax and not hurry, I could discover the apparent diversions held valuable messages relevant to both the story and to life. As with the writings of the “Ancients” (i.e. philosophers) I am continually in awe of the relevance and personal value to me of the thinking and life they promoted so long ago.\n\nMany of Fielding’s ideas I have summarized below have direct relevance to critical thinking. There are many examples throughout the book where characters made poor assumptions based on incomplete information that had unfortunate, even disastrous consequences. The characters were typically biased in their point of view leading to inaccurate inferences. Reflection on these examples and Fielding’s ideas applied to my own thinking and life, as attempted with all our readings, reinforces my understanding of critical thinking while promoting my ongoing critique of how well I think and act in my own life. \n \n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Henry Fielding: A Brief Summary of What Life Teaches"},{"insert":"\n\nI truly hope you enjoyed my book. What follows is the briefest of summaries of not simply ideas, but observations and lessons from life.\n\nSadly, many people are inherently motivated by concern for their own interests. This was a recurring character flaw evident throughout the book, as with the apparent devotion Partridge has to Tom, more rightly seen as the scheme it was to gain forgiveness and potential reward from Allworthy. The shining exception is, of course, our heroine Sophia, whose thoughts and behaviors emanate from her virtuous being.\n\nBut keep in mind, with but a few exceptions, a person’s (such as our hero Tom Jones) character cannot be seen or defined by any single event, misstep, weakness, or incident against the law, however offensive they may seem. The impetuosity of youth, incomplete education and harsh circumstances society commonly deals out, can result in good people making mistakes. Nor should character be equated to one’s status in society as the noblest of Lords can be scoundrels and the lowest in society’s trenches can possess the best of hearts. \n\nSociety can be ignorant, no more evident than its beliefs and customs that men are inherently wiser than females. This mistaken injustice is exemplified through the immensely superior character seen in Sophia and wisdom displayed by Mrs. Western.\n\nLife is difficult to predict as “Trains of little Circumstances” often lead to significant consequences. And if life’s unforeseen twists and turns are not enough to create havoc, the tendency of too many to make unjustified assumptions only compounds the chaos when the resultant misinterpretations inevitably lead to disaster.\n\nJustice is paramount and can only be achieved by avoiding premature judgment until all facts are laid bare. Then when faults are proven it is important to retain a “forgiving temper”. However, while dishonesty can be forgiven, when accompanied with blacker crimes such as “cruelty, murder, and ingratitude”, compassion and forgiveness are misplaced, indeed are faults inappropriately applied. Ultimately providence has its say in dealing with villainy and unvirtuousness.\n\nWhile education is invaluable, the value of what is learned is only realized when applied to life’s experiences. For however exquisitely human nature may have been described in the writings of others, the true practical system can be learnt only in the world. Positions of authority and scholastic credentials mean nothing if not accompanied by good judgment, creativity, and most importantly personal experience in application, not just of knowledge but in all aspects of the self, including one’s virtue.  \n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"Some of the key points from this podcast are as follows:\n−      Information is used whenever we reason\n−      Information itself is neutral until you apply the Standards of Reasoning. Applying the Standards to information requires evaluating what information is important for the stated purpose and associated questions - judging the clarity, precision, accuracy, relevance, significance, breadth and depth of the information as adequate/appropriate/reasonable/etc.\n−      Other terms for “information” include facts, data, evidence, observations, and experiences. Often the problem is how you look at (in the case of observations) and interpret information that can be limited either due to inadequacy of your knowledge (e.g. concepts) to fully understand the information or due to conscious or unconscious bias related to your point of view.\n−      Experience as a source of information can lead us astray. Here I think it is also worth noting that disregarding experience, for example when quantitative research evidence is given ascendency over qualitative evidence (e.g. phenomenology), can also result in incomplete information regarding an issue.)\n−      Information must also be synthesized with other information to determine how it fits together. \n−      Evaluating information against the Standards, as with evaluating all Elements of reasoning, takes practice and time.\n\nIn the discussion that “Hypotheses” are not included as an Element it was stated that this is because they are contained in other Elements such as Assumptions and Conclusions. Here I think it is worth considering when one term may suit the context better than another. For example, when facilitating reasoning in health professionals it is important to encourage the use of “hypotheses” rather than “conclusions” as this tends to promote openness and continued search for alternative explanations.\n\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"Podcast on concepts. While watching the video, please complete these activities:\n\nWrite out the organizing idea, or the primary organizing ideas, being conveyed in the video. \n\n−      A concept is “an idea of the mind”.\n\n−      Your concepts can be accurate and inaccurate/skewed or at least the meaning you attribute to them can be incomplete.\n\n−      You can access, reflect, critique your (and other’s) concepts. Sometimes this requires checking current understandings as with looking up a concept in a dictionary where other times it may be a concept not found in a dictionary where you need to check with others, including those with other perspectives, regarding their understanding of the concept. This reminds me of the book by Pip Williams “Dictionary of Lost Words” where the main character (Esme) grows up around the men who are drafting the first Oxford dictionary and realizes over time that decisions made regarding what words make it into the dictionary are biased by male perspectives in writing and history and that there are many commonly used “women’s words” that never make it in. I wonder if every word we use is itself a concept? The meaning of words depends on the context they are used and the perspectives of those using them.\n\n−      Simple versus complex concepts (ink pen versus democracy)\n\n−      Concepts are ubiquitous in that they are the ideas we use that influence our perceptions, interpretations/inferences, assumptions, conclusions; they underpin our lives and our thinking.\n\n−      Animals also have concepts, but I wonder if their concepts are less complicated by the multitude of influences to the shaping of human concepts, for example a dog’s love/affection/pleasure seems to be more simple, more unconditional?\n\n−      Concepts, like assumptions, can be taken for granted where they are unconsciously learned and used without critique (hence the need for critical reflection). It is difficult to recognize your own concept errors when they are based on non-critical habits of thinking. \n\n−      You can apply concept reflection to your own life by asking “What are the concepts driving my behaviour?”\n\n−      Concepts only exist when they are identified (e.g. inferiority complex) however, I wonder if they are only categorized through labeling for some purpose when in fact they existed before this but probably called by some informal name (well evidenced in Dictionary of Lost Words).\n\n−      Me: Concepts also facilitate communication as with the alien who comes to earth and asks what a “chair” is. To answer this, we need to say a chair is something we sit on that usually has four legs, a seat and a back. However, there are other variations of these things we call chairs as some are designed to kneel on, etc. It is not efficient to say would you get me a thing to sit on with four legs, a seat and back etc., instead communication is facilitated by the concept “chair”.\n\nWrite out three insights you gained from viewing the video. In other words, how can you use the content in your own thinking and life?\n\n−      I have had a long-standing interest in concepts and clarifying how I use them when I write and speak. I have NOT applied this to critical reflection of my behaviours.\n\nWrite out three questions you have as a result of viewing the video. These questions can be focused on clarifying the theory or applying it.\n\n1.    Is every word we use itself a concept?\n\n2.    Are animal concepts simpler being uncomplicated by the endless influences humans have on their concepts?\n\n3.    Should we be more critical of the formation / definitions adopted of concepts, including those that appear in dictionaries? While they may be accepted by some pre-defined criteria, who determined those criteria? Definitions still represent a particular perspective and some meanings may not be captured.\n \n"}]}

{"ops":[{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"The Analysis of Reasoning – Going Deeper: Assumptions"},{"attributes":{"align":"center"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThe podcast on Assumptions takes the listener through assumptions as a concept and how they frequently underpin the inferences we make. Some of the key points that emerge include the following:\n\nAssumptions are beliefs that are taken for granted"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Assumptions can be conscious or unconscious"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Assumptions can be good (reasonable) or bad (unfounded)"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Inferences are conclusions and are often underpinned by assumptions"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Assumptions involve generalizations (e.g. prejudice) "},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nBeing reminded of our ubiquitous use of assumptions should make us more alert to our own assumptions which, once recognized, can be examined for their accuracy. For example, what is the evidence for the truth of my assumption? Should it be qualified? Are there exceptions? How can my assumption be tested? While some assumptions may be reasonable, on reflection following this podcast I believe we would be more accurate and precise if we qualified our assumptions e.g. “as far as I know or understand”. This seems to also relate to the arguably safer use of “inductive” reasoning e.g. “I think….”, “It may be…” as opposed to “deductive” which is a statement of fact based on the premises it is based on even though the premises may someday be shown to be inaccurate or untrue. The literature on common cognitive biases has identified 30+ different variations of bias, each with their own name. For example, in healthcare “ascertainment bias” is the name given to “thinking shaped by prior assumptions and preconceptions, as occurs when patients are stereotyped. Rather than assigning distinct labels for each variation of bias, these would arguably be better situated in the context of the Elements of Thinking, in this case Assumptions.\n  \n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"At a recent critical thinking study group discussion Linda Elder expressed her ongoing disappointment in the education systems that continue to indoctrinate students in subject matter with inadequate attention to critical, ethical thinking. Linda's frustration is nicely captured in the following quote from Doris Lessing: \n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"“Ideally, what should be said to every child, repeatedly, throughout his or her school life is something like this: 'You are in the process of being indoctrinated. We have not yet evolved a system of education that is not a system of indoctrination. We are sorry, but it is the best we can do. What you are being taught here is an amalgam of current prejudice and the choices of this particular culture. The slightest look at history will show how impermanent these must be. You are being taught by people who have been able to accommodate themselves to a regime of thought laid down by their predecessors. It is a self-perpetuating system. Those of you who are more robust and individual than others will be encouraged to leave and find ways of educating yourself — educating your own judgements. Those that stay must remember, always, and all the time, that they are being molded and patterned to fit into the narrow and particular needs of this particular society.” "},{"insert":"\n ― "},{"attributes":{"color":"blue","link":"https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/GjkkC71RLWTQOXZ1CqFaNt?domain=goodreads.com"},"insert":"Doris Lessing"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"italic":true,"color":"blue","link":"https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/8Q4uC81V6BTz75YpuwptDY?domain=goodreads.com"},"insert":"The Golden Notebook"},{"insert":"\n"}]}