There are a couple of philosophical texts that spring to mind when I reflect on the zeitgeist of contemporary North America. Interestingly enough, these were some of the earliest materials I read during my undergraduate studies in Philosophy at Wilfrid Laurier University.
The first is On Bullshit by Harry Frankfurt, a book written in 2005 that posits bullshit as a form of communication that presents itself as truth without any knowledge or regard for it. The second is the famous book Meditations on First Philosophy by Rene Descartes. The French philosopher wrote his meditations in solitude, prompted by the realization that his mind had been filled with ideas and impressions he had adopted for reasons of tradition rather than critical reflection. In other words, they were ideas he had arrived at through the influence of his cultural and historical milieu, as opposed to close scrutiny.
Both works are, in part, indictments against dogma. When we think dogmatically, we see our worldview as fact, and anything that affirms our beliefs is taken as fact as well. Conversely, when something seemingly contradicts our worldview, we are quick to reject it wholesale.
Dogmatic thinking is a misrepresentation of reality, and it poses a danger to the integrity of individuals and societies because we act out these misrepresentations. Furthermore, dogmatic thinking begets more dogmatic thinking. When we are deep in dogma, we don’t see the unruly consequences of our creed as evidence against it. We already take our beliefs to be fact, so we contrive ways to make inconsistencies consistent with our worldview.
What makes thinking dogmatic? And isn’t all action dogmatic? Do we not endorse certain information, beliefs, ideas or interpretations as true when we take action? Is action not black and white at its roots?
To answer these questions, let us take a closer look at critical thinking—the antonym of dogmatic thinking.
Critical thinking: What it is not
Critical thinking is not contrarianism
The appeal of contrarianism is that it gives oneself the impression that one is a free-thinker by going against the “established” belief system. Notice, however, that to engage in contrarianism is to:
- Place the “established” belief system into a box by stereotyping, and
- Accept the logical opposite of this stereotype as true.
There is no nuance involved here.
Critical thinking is not free-thinking
The idea that one can arrive at a universal (i.e., impersonal) truth by removing one’s own experiences from the playing field plagues much of Western philosophy. It shows up a ton in Descartes’ Meditations.
Critical thinking, however, is embodied in the individual. It is exercised with intention and within one’s background/skillset. Assuming that it is possible to detach ourselves from the contents of our thoughts is certainly reassuring. It enables us to think about a topic ad nauseam without the need for action.
Conversely, it can shield us from accountability by making us feel like we are doing something. Thoughts can be both action-like and noise-like. Critical thinking is not the latter.
Critical thinking can be subtle, but it is never inaction
Something that I personally struggle with is a tendency to take myself out of situations, which can lead to inaction.
I remember taking a Philosophy of Multiculturalism course in grad school and feeling intimidated. It touched on a lot of subjects that I—a straight, upper-middle-class white male—experienced a lot of guilt in facing. Consequently, a lot of my contributions were sterile. I often spoke in generalizations and avoided talking about my own opinions and perspectives. The course instructor was a brilliant and prolific researcher, and I thought anything I had to say would pale in comparison to what he had been exposed to in his academic and personal life.
I became frustrated with myself. I was doing it again, taking myself out of a situation that made me uncomfortable for the sake of feeling protected. It wasn’t until I had a conversation with my partner, half a year after completing grad school, that I came to understand the situation differently.
I wasn’t inactive. I showed up to that seminar every week after having read and engaged with the course materials. I swallowed a lot of the guilt I felt in recognizing my own privilege. I recognized that I may not have as much to contribute to the course as other students, especially when the discussion centred on the consequences of discrimination that I never lived. Nonetheless, I did not try to dominate the discussion or steer it away from my own discomfort. I sat with it. I listened.
I didn’t always nail it. Sometimes I felt bitter, thinking to myself, “Why do I bother trying? I have nothing worth saying.” Sometimes I vehemently denied my privilege, at least to myself, and how it has propagated through things such as systemic racism, despite identifying myself as someone who values equality.
Just sitting with discomfort, however, can be an exercise in critical thinking. While I was frustrated, I knew that the course contained valuable perspectives and lessons. Critical thinking can be something as simple as recognizing that you are thinking something out of fear, and to persevere.
Critical thinking is not always thinking
By now, you’re probably thinking that I’m stretching the definition of critical thinking too thin. When the root of a thought that is replaying in our heads is fear, though, critical thinking will not come from more thinking.
For example, when I am in the grips of anxiety, I turn to journaling. I find that it helps to put my worries on paper, making them less shifty and more tangible. My emotions tend to diffuse after I write enough to make my hand tired. Then I can start to challenge my automatic thoughts and find a solution to whatever prompted my anxious outburst.
Consequently, critical thinking can come in the form of challenging the way you’re going about solving a problem. The solution itself may not involve thinking at all.
Critical thinking and bullshit
Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and consciously about the goals one pursues and the means to their attainment. When we think critically, we are able to think about the contours of situations beyond apparent problems and solutions. We ask ourselves:
- What is my goal? Is it worth pursuing?
- Do I understand the situation in front of me?
- What outcomes can I foresee from taking this or that solution? Is that what I want? What else do I want?
Furthermore, critical thinking is an ongoing process that involves making a lot of mistakes. As previously mentioned, critical thinking is not free-thinking. It is goal-directed, time-sensitive, embodied and finite. Once we take action, we’ll have the benefit of seeing how things play out, which can be used for the next time.
It is easier to think dogmatically than critically because the latter demands more of our cognitive resources.
In other words, critical thinking is fluid. It allows us to challenge the assumptions of others and ourselves by drawing our attention to the information, beliefs, interpretations and ideas that go into thought processes and choices.
It is easier to think dogmatically than critically because the latter demands more of our cognitive resources. While action requires that we accept certain things as true and others as false, what sets critical thinking apart from the dogmatic kind is that it evolves. It is reflective and self-critical. It takes new information and integrates it into its understanding.
Being a critical thinker is difficult, and no one succeeds at it all the time. Nor should being a critical thinker be anyone’s ultimate goal in life. It’s a skill. It is exercised in a dynamic and ever-changing world. The reason it takes on a special importance in our world is that there is so much bullshit. So much information serves no purpose other than to get a reaction out of us. These pieces of information have nothing to do with truth or falsehood. They are noise.
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