Learning to Think Critically

During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.

~ George Orwell

Two thousand five hundred years ago a man dared ask questions. As a reward he was killed. This man was Socrates, an Athenian philosopher and teacher who is considered by many to be the father of critical thinking. By development of his “Socratic method” Socrates changed how we understand the seemingly unknowable within the world around us. By asking a series of inquiries, together as a group, the members would seek truths by eliminating contradictions. Critical thinking has evolved by including many other disciplines, but at it's root it is thinking in a clear, logical, rational and consistent method. Being able to synthesize information into a meaningful dialogue which would progress the collective understanding was at the heart of his method and adverse the dogmatic powers that be in his time which led to him being labeled a heretic and killed. So much for free thinking.

But the methods of Socrates have stood the test of time and evolved into the modern world in profound ways. By the use of reason, logic and rational, academia as well as media systems have benefited from his sacrifice. I believe, at it's bare essence, critical thinking is just asking questions. And when referring to gathering and reporting the news this simple truth holds true. We ask the basic who, what, where, and why, of a potential news story. We ask is the source credible. We ask contextual questions in order to understand the story's relationship to society as a whole. We ask if facts we wish to report are ultimately relevant to the piece. We ask if elements of the story are fair and absent of biases. We synthesize the information into clear, concise and readable language which the audience can digest. All of these are “Socratic” methods and go hand in hand towards furthering our collective knowledge base. Critical thinking is seeking truths and beliefs in a systematic way. And seeking truths when they are adverse to the state can be a dangerous thing, just ask Socrates.