Critical Thinking Discussion - 764 Words

Introduction The relevance of critical thinking cannot be overstated. In addition to helping us properly evaluate arguments, critical thinking skills also do come in handy in the enhancement of our reasoning capabilities. In this text, I concern myself with critical thinking. In so doing, I will amongst other things discuss what critical thinking means to me and the role it is currently playing in my life. Critical Thinking: Discussion Question 1 To me, critical thinking is both the ability and courage to challenge explanations as well as ideas others would rather not challenge. Further, critical thinking to me is the ability to formulate and develop the best solutions to prevailing problems while at the same time evaluating proposed solutions for their relevance. To get things into perspective, it would be prudent to also take into consideration other peoples view of critical thinking. In the words of Moon (2012), the central activity of critical thinking is the assessment of what might be called evidence, in order to make a judgment. Currently, critical thinking enables me to bring out my arguments in a clear and reasonable way. For this reason, I am a better debater than most of my peers. My critical thinking skills have also been of great use to me in my academic life. This is more so the case when it comes to tackling my assignments. Question 2 Recently, we were watching a documentary film with a friend of mine regarding atheism. After we were doneShow MoreRelatedCritical Thinking and Discussion Student Observation566 Words   |  2 PagesThe Reading Assignment This week’s reading assignment fittingly focused on critical thinking beyond the assigned text, and course. It expressed the type of critical thinker you can become is completely dependent on your beliefs and willingness to abandon them to go outside your own realm of comfort. It also expresses the belief that although you should go outside our comfort zone, there is still a requirement to learn new words and established facts and ideas. This course began with assignmentsRead MoreConstructing Meaning Essay1124 Words   |  5 Pagescontroversial discussions and enhancing their critical thinking skills at the collegiate level. This article we will discuss some common issues that surface in college courses that encourage critical thinking. What strategies can educators use to promote enlightened and fair discussion of them† (Gainey Payne, 2003, p.52). The goal of the article was to share their findings from a research study in which through effective pedagogy is needed i n order to foster students having better critical thinking skillsRead MoreOutstanding Disscusion Board Princi Essay1017 Words   |  5 PagesGuide to an Outstanding Discussion Board Thread 1. Read your assignment carefully for content related requirements. Let’s look at the example below. Note that it does not ask for a vague opinion, but requires that your answer be based upon: * Five developmental theories found in your reading assignment. * Information found in reading and presentations related to human development. * Your Christian/Other worldview – this implies that you understand your worldview and clearly defineRead MoreEssay about Assessment of Critical Thinking976 Words   |  4 Pagesor the course modified. The aim of this paper is to define assessment and critical thinking skills, and then review a State University course and suggest different assessments that could be used to demonstrate learning. Theoretical Foundations of Nursing will be the course reviewed, as it is the only course I have previously taken, and therefore the only course which I have assess to the curriculum. Critical thinking is recognized by accrediting bodies as an outcome for graduates of bachelorRead MoreTeaching Strategies Used to Promote Active Learning Essay1159 Words   |  5 Pagessegment of the definition by nature an active endeavor is important because it allows the student to develop her critical thinking skills as well as practice her writing techniques. The student can discuss class material in a less formal setting, which can be beneficial in creating more open-ended discussions for the student. As a teacher, promoting various learning styles is critical because one student learn differently than another. It is an important life lesson a student to understand heRead MoreDiscussion On An Instructional Method962 Words   |  4 PagesDiscussion as an Instructional Method I would use discussion as an instructional method because it is a great interactive learning tool and facilitates listening, teamwork, confidence, critical thinking, critical listening and critical reading. Moreover, classroom discussions can help students sharpen their communication and speaking skills. Classroom discussion helps to dispel myths and preconceived prejudices about others and students tend to develop mutual respect for one and others. Read MoreCritical Thinking And Teaching Methods1648 Words   |  7 Pages but rather accept it and move on. Critical thinking and efficient teaching methods have been suppressed in the current U.S. educational system, and the U.S. is suffering: once one of the front runners in education, the U.S. has fallen to twenty-seventh place according to the 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Ironically, the definition of critical thinking, an often-used pedagogical term, requires the process of critical thinking, criticism, and debate, as the definitionRead MoreUse Of Discussion As An Instructional Method863 Words   |  4 PagesI would use discussion as an instructional method because it is a great interactive learning tool and facilitates listening, teamwork, confidence, critical thinking, critical listening and critical reading. Moreover, classroom discussions can help students sharpen their communication and speaking skills. Classroom discussion helps to dispel myths and preconceived prejudices about others and students tend to develop mutual respect for one and others. Above all, discussions foster better understandingRead MoreUnderstanding How Fallacies, Critical Thinking and Decision Making Techniques Are All Linked Togethe1689 Words   |  7 PagesHow it all comes together 1 Understanding how fallacies, critical thinking and decision making techniques are all linked together. What is a logical fallacy? According to the Webster dictionary (1996), a fallacy is a false notion. A statement or argument based on a false or invalid inference. Fallacies can be divided into two different groups; the first one is the fallacy of relevance where the premises are irrelevant to the outcome. The other is fallacy of insufficient evidence, where theRead MoreTechnology Is Becoming More Accessible And Portable Essay1363 Words   |  6 Pagesclassroom. On the other hand, others agree that technology offers sources of distraction, which undermine students’ ability of critical thinking. It is not true, however, that all the technology in classrooms has negative impacts. Thus, it is important to distinguish which kind of technology can help develop critical thinking skills among students. In order to cultivate critical thinking skills in classrooms, technology must be able to support the objectives of the theory of constructivist learning. This

The Nature of the Beast An Analysis of the Genre of Science Fiction Free Essays

All modes of inquiry correlate with each other due to their tendency to coalesce in their emphasis on questions, which raise issues on autonomy, justice, and politics. The differences of literary theories, for example, merely spring from their construal of the relationship between the exercise of power and the text. Structuralism views the relation in terms of the relationship of the formal elements in a linguistic system. We will write a custom essay sample on The Nature of the Beast: An Analysis of the Genre of Science Fiction or any similar topic only for you Order Now Marxism assesses the relationship in terms of the role of such relations in the existence of social structures. The same method is used by Psychoanalysis, with the emphasis on the conscious and unconscious mind. Deconstruction, on the other hand, perceives the texts’ role in destabilizing oppositional modes of power. Despite of these differences amongst discursive procedures, it does not overshadow the fact that these theories give emphasis on their analysis of the political and institutional structures within society. A concrete example of this can be seen in the opposing theories of constructivism and essentialism. Despite their adherence to competing narratives of oppression and resistance [constructivism places emphasis on multiple identities thereby opposing essentialism’s stance on singular categorization] both theories show interest on the subject’s position within society and how this position can affect the development of his identity. In fact, if one isolates the discussion of identity and narratives of oppression in both discourses, one will notice that the ultimate commitment of the theories they adhere to gives emphasis on the idea of political justice. Politics within these discourses is seen as a collective action of resistance, which aims for change in the hopes of attending to the problems evident in the formation of identity and agency. It is important to note that literature as a repository of human experience has always been influenced by politics. Exercise of power within society is associated with and dependent on the mass production of certain kinds of literature, which allows the cultural qualification of ideas. The relation between literature and politics can also be seen in literary theory’s assessment of the formation of consciousness and unconsciousness, which is related to the maintenance, and transformation of the predominant modes of power made possible by literary output (Eagleton 210). It is also dependent upon the ahistorical positioning of the literary text, since this allows the continuous creation of meaning for a particular text. This mode of relationship invokes the aesthetic character of literature. Literature as a form of discourse enables the perception of aesthetics as a process of communicating while remaking a work. The aesthetic act becomes the incarnation of meaning rather than a demonstration of truth. This is possible since in the process of reading a text, the subject -which can be both the reader and the author- produces another text which is the same as the earlier text yet entirely different from it. Perceived within the dialogic process, the interconnectedness of completion and fragmentation can be understood by recognizing that it is in fact the fragmentation of the text, which allows the completion of the text itself. Within this perspective, the aesthetic act becomes political through the social interaction necessitated by the creation and continual recreation of an artistic work. Literature, in this sense, becomes the locus of a condensed and social evaluation. Intersubjectivity precedes subjectivity wherein the production and repression of meaning is seen as a socio-ideological process rather than an individual process. In this scheme, the text is allowed the character of fluidity. No permanent theoretical stipulation and ethical meaning can be attached to it since to do so is tantamount to denying the ahistorical character of the text. This character is invoked since in the end when one considers a text, what is given importance is not necessarily the historical reading of the text but the various readings made available by the literary theories and ethical standpoints that one may attach to the text. Within this process, there is an emphasis on the reassessment and creation of new standpoints since the interpretation of the text involves the consideration of both the act of writing and reading the text. The re-conceptualization of a literary text through reading enables the individual to undergo a process of analyzing the truth connected with the discourse in which the text is situated, while at the same time reassessing its connection to his self. Due to this, assessing a text becomes a personal and political act wherein the common adage â€Å"the personal is political† can be phrased into an equally influential counter notion that â€Å"the political is personal†. It is important to note that there is a big difference between these two adages. To say that the â€Å"personal is political† is only tantamount to equating political importance to personal experiences whereas to say that the â€Å"political is personal† involves following an ideology and political theory in making decisions in everyday life. The function of the verb† is† in both adages is not that of identification. This process, wherein the reading of a text becomes a vehicle for self-realization and self-transformation is emphasized within the literary genre of science fiction. The Genre of Science Fiction Genres, as systems of classification, are means of strategic control. Within the field of literature, it is believed that the continuous division of literary works into different genres leads not only to the classification of the work and the text but also to the imposition of values and ideals to those people who read the works belonging to a specific genre. Through genre categories like ‘Romance’, ‘Horror’, or ‘Mystery’, those in control of the modes of production control both the reader and the author of the work. By promising the readers a familiar set of meanings and controlling the demand for the production and formation of those meanings, those who are in control of the modes of production direct the construction of narratives. Within this context, it is possible for the stories that are produced within society to be a part of a broader form of social classification. Due to this, there is the construction of a particular set of meanings, which can only be understood within specific systems of classification. Genres in this sense become instruments of control. This is evident if one considers that genres â€Å"encode rules that constrain the†¦production and reception of meanings†¦communicated through a large number of meta-texts† (Hodge 27). These meta-texts become the basis for the production of knowledge. All knowledge is positioned as knowledge in itself and knowledge produced from and within body. As soon as both forms of knowledge are connected to a knowing subject, the subject becomes ensnared to the poststructuralist dictum of the unity and independence of the self, which leads to the formation of the narratives of the self. Narratives then display the imprint of culture and its institutions on the individual’s sense of identity. Since self and language are mutually implicated in an interdependent system of symbolic behavior, the language that one uses for the creation of literary narratives dictates the creation of identities. The modern era thereby places the individual in a kind of political double bind as it coerces the individual to conform to normalizing and disciplinary forms of narrative construction evident in the â€Å"domestication of literature† (Suvin 373). Science fiction, however, as a genre eludes the monopolizing character of other genres. As a genre, it is at the intersection of various fields. It draws on the elements of popular culture, science, and all types of social relations (James and Mendlesohn 1). This is evident if one considers that it employs a methodology and an approach, which enables the specification of a new set of values through the depiction of a radical form of reality. In this sense, science fiction is less of a genre if one is to conceive of a genre as specifying a particular text’s subject matter and approach to themes. As opposed to the other literary genres, science fiction cannot be expected to employ a specific set of elements and tropes. It may however be depicted as a form of ongoing discussion since the texts within the genre may be perceived as mutually referential due to their characteristic opposition towards a naturalistic and empiricistic conception of reality. Science fiction as a genre is thereby defined by its critical stance towards the normative depictions of reality. However, to state that this is the defining characteristic of the genre provides problems for the genre itself. This is evident if one considers that it leaves the genre open to other forms of literary texts with the aforementioned characteristics such as fantasy and myth. Contrary to this, science fiction stands in opposition to the aforementioned forms of literature. Science fiction is neither totalizing nor deterministic as it presents a predetermined conception of the conception and end of reality [myth]. Furthermore, it is neither based upon a conceptual scheme that posits the impossible as ordinary [fantasy]. James and Mendlesohn state, â€Å"the sense of wonder is the emotional heart of science fiction† (3). David Nye refers to this as the appreciation of the sublime evident in science fiction texts. Such a description further echoes Frederick Pohl’s description of science fiction as â€Å"a way of thinking about things† (qtd in Malzberg 38). Generally, this â€Å"way of thinking about things† may be†¦ All of these will show that the spontaneous and habitual orientation of attention is inimical to the maintenance of reality. Therefore, scientific fiction provides a reorientation of attention and a kind of ontological conversion, which affects the aesthetic, ethical, and political perceptions of the reality. This reorientation also affects the ontology of the world. How to cite The Nature of the Beast: An Analysis of the Genre of Science Fiction, Papers

Critical Evaluation Frankenstein free essay sample

Frankenstein Mary Shelley creates strong meaning through her interpretation a monster by the main concept. Bringing something back from the dead is what created the mystery and curiosity for this lost soul. The idea of this impossibility is what has made it recognised today. Mary Shelley had conceived the idea for Frankenstein in a time of wonder. She uses imagery and strategic repetition of key descriptive words to create an atmosphere of horror and gloom in the first part of the chapter, when the monster comes to life. We will write a custom essay sample on Critical Evaluation: Frankenstein or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Shelley invites readers to believe Victors story through an objective person. Shelley also uses an important literary device known as the epistolary form — where letters tell the story — using letters between Walton and his sister to frame both Victors and the creatures narrative. She uses imagery and strategic repetition of key descriptive words to create an atmosphere of horror and gloom in the first part of the chapter, when the monster comes to life. She uses variations of words such as dreary, horrid, disgust, miserable, and wretched liberally, and paints vivid images of ugliness and decay. Frankenstein was deeply described as a monster that should not deserve the advantage of having a female companion through his life. The experiences which led Frankenstein understand the way the world perceives those who are different were unfortunately not the way they thought they would be. Within the book Frankenstein has a section where he speaks in first person narrative so that he can present his won perspective of the situation. Harmony was the soul of our companionship, is an example of personification to the concept. Shelley uses the issues of being different to influence the way the audience feels towards the monster and his brutal murders. Meaning is exposed to the way Frankenstein really feels. His vulnerability is shown when he reveals that â€Å"it tortured my heart† when he killed these innocent people. An understanding can also be gathered and influenced by the personalities and wishes of both Frankenstein and Victor. At first Victor’s mistake was to create this being of horror.It portrayed Frankenstein as the monster when actually Victor is refusing him of the only thing he wants and needs to live through this life which was not his choice to live. Mary Shelley guides you through the life of the creator and the creator’s created. Shelley gives the audience the change to make up their own mind of who caused the wrong doings by giving using different language techniques to give you an explanation on both sides. Why is it Valued? Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is so very valued because of the imagination which is depicted through the concept of life after death. Frankenstein is recognised worldwide because of his kind heart in such a sad life. Even though he is seen as positively repulsive Frankenstein still finds joy in seeing others act like a family and learning from their experiences in life. Frankenstein is cherished because of its shocking concept. Frankenstein was brought into the world without a second’s thought to what the consequences would be. It has captured audiences in our generation and generations to come for its passionate personalities and imaginary themes.