Critical Thinking Blog #1

Part One:

I remember when I first began taking standardized tests in elementary school and just about everyone dreaded the words "critical thinking". When I think of critical thinking, I think of a selected reading or situation that provokes deep thought and analysis. I always enjoyed having a discussion about the reading or situation with my classmates rather than writing out my answers on a sheet of plain binder paper. Critical thinking works so much better when everyone can join in and add their points to the subject. Plus, it is so much more enjoyable to actually be able to hear other's opinions and thoughts rather than just my own.

When I was a senior at Bella Vista High School, I took a political science course. Inside that course, my class had the opportunity to work with the Sacramento Country Juvenile system and participate in Youth Court. Youth Court was where students could act as a jury, under a real judge and over a real case. The defendants and their families have agreed to a set of terms that the defendants would comply with the jury's decision on a sentence, per se. The defendants had already plead guilty, so all the jury was allowed to do was listen to testimony and hear evidence about the case, and to come to an appropriate sentence. Since I aspire to be a lawyer, naturally I jumped on the opportunity. I served on two juries and was the foreperson in one of the cases. I remember listening to the evidence and testimonies, then going back into the deliberation room to make a decision with my fellow jury members. It took a lot of critical thinking to make sure we paid due attention to all the important factors of the case so we could make an appropriate decision, in terms of a sentence.

Let's see...a time that I did not use critical thinking. I guess the first thing that comes to mind is actually a personal story. My parents have been divorced since I was about eight years old, but they always lived within fifteen minutes away from each other so my brother and I could always see both of them equally. However, when I was a freshman in high school, my mother decided that she wanted to move to Las Vegas and she wanted my brother and I to go with her. I did not give it much thought because I didn't want to move away from my home. I quickly made the decision to stay with my father in California. It ended up working out for the best in terms of my education and opportunities, but I do sometimes wonder what my life would be like if I did move to Las Vegas with my mother.

Part Two:

When I think of the word "intellectualism", I think of someone who uses their mind, in both moral and intelligent ways to make an informed decision. A lot more than just plain smarts go into making an informed decision. People use their beliefs, morals, and previous experiences to make decision, along with common sense (if it even exists). The word "intellectualism" has positive connotations for me because it describes using all forms of decision-making, and I think that is very important.

"Logic" is a word that I don't have an exact definition for. My first impulse of that word is "duh" because when I think of "logic", it usually means something that is obvious. For example, when someone gets dumped by their significant other, it's logical that he or she would be upset. Granted, not everyone gets upset over things like that, but it would not be unreasonable for someone to be upset. "Logic", to me, has both a positive and negative connotations because some people don't understand other people's logic, therefore disagreeing because they do not understand.

I really enjoy the word "reason" simply because it is so hard to define. "Reason" is definitely one of those words that every person has their own definition. Everyone uses "reason" to explain an event or decision that they want an answer to. I believe there is a reason for everything, even if I do not know of, let alone understand that reason. "Reason" has a positive connotation to me because it is the solid ground beneath why people do anything. If people believe their reason is correct, then they will always justify it, regardless of how others feel about their reasoning. "Reason" is completely objective.

By the way, I really like that quote, it's very true.

Pre-Reading Blog #1

Ah, a brand new semester has began and I must say that I have mixed feelings about it. While I am definitely ready to get the semester up and running, I feel as though I am still stuck in vacation mode. College as a whole has been an amazing an eye-opening experience. Every semester I walk into class hoping for a decent teacher, from whom I will actually learn something from. College isn't much different than high school for me, except that I only have class one or two times a week (which works for some classes, others not so much). I've grown so much in the past two years and the knowledge I have gained is simply irreplaceable.

I have always looked at college as such a "grown-up" thing. Well, at least until I got to college. In high school, I couldn't wait to start college and feel older, smarter, and more responsible. However, when I got to college, it wasn't quite what I expected it would be. My first semester was a piece of cake and I don't feel as though I learned too much of anything new. My second semester was definitely a little harder, but I certainly love a good challenge. Education is very important to me and I truly believe that without an education, it will be very hard to make it the world. However, some education I honestly find frivolous. For example, I am a political science major and I am not very good at anything to do with science, let alone like it for that matter. Last semester, I took Earth science and I had the hardest time with it. Halfway through the semester, I became frustrated because I would never used any of the information I was learning. Granted, I still came out of the class with a B, but it was definitely not the A I wanted. Basically, I took a class that had absolutely nothing to do with my major or career goals, and it my lack of interest definitely showed in my grade in that class. I think that broad education is important, but I still think that some courses college students are forced to take can be a little ridiculous like a math major taking an international relations course. Ah, that's my rant on that subject.

Most of high school was pretty lame and I don't feel as though teachers care as much in high school as they do in college. It was hard to enjoy a class when I had teacher who hated their jobs and the class they were teaching in general. I know some many people who desire to go back to high school because it was easier, but I love college and would never walk backwards. I have learned so much more in college, had passionate teachers, and gained brand new experiences that I couldn't gain from high school. My goal from being in school and gaining an education is to be knowledgeable, successful, and of course, a productive member of society. We need many more of those, don't you think?

The world is full of many great opportunities for advancement, personally and educationally, so why do so many choose to not take advantage of these options?

Rationalism: The practice of accepting reason as the only authority in determining one's opinions or course of action.

Anti-Rationalism: The practice of rejecting reason as the only authority in determining one's opinions or course of action.

Fundamentalism: Following a strict set of guidelines with little to no straying from these guidelines.