Critical Thinking Essay
Critical thinking is the process of deciding whether some particular claim is true or false, relying on facts, theoretical knowledge, and experience. Critical thinking is a very important skill that can be acquired through thoughtful research and the ability to pick out the most important points from the studied material. By using critical thinking, an individual can come to reasoned conclusions based on rational thought. The process of critical thinking involves creativity and passion, but at the same time requires discipline and practical approach. It is a useful tool applied in education, science, politics, and other fields. In this paper, I would like to discuss, how the current course of sociology improved my critical thinking and made me a logical thinker.
Critical thinking is closely related to critical sociology. While studying critical sociology, I learned many things about critical thinking and its benefits for my education, perception of the world and society, and life in general. As I learned to think critically, I began to question many things that seemed clear to me before. As John Macionis claims in his book Society: the Basics, “critical sociology is the study of society that focuses on the need for social change” (Macionis, 2006). He argues that instead of fact scientific questions, critical sociologists ask moral and political questions when studying society. I realized that I started doing the same thing as a result of learning to think critically. Studying structural-functional and social-conflict approaches, I acquired valuable knowledge about the society. However, the most important thing I learned while applying critical thinking to my study, is the ability to look at social events from different points of view. It significantly improved by perception and analysis of sociological issues. Studying different social theories and methods of sociological research and analysis, I learned to make a reasonable assessment of social figures and events. This knowledge considerably influenced my ability to think critically.
References
Macionis, John J. Society: The Basics. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2006. Print.
