It seems to me that if we want to actually raise the sanity waterline and make people evaluate things critically, and not just conform to different groups than is the norm, a crucial part of that is getting people to adopt an identity of critical thinking. This way, the concept of identity ceases to be something that makes rational thinking harder and starts to actively aid it.
I don’t think that could ever work. Just look at the present situation. A great many people nowadays feel that “critical thinking,” “open-mindedness,” “questioning authority,” etc. are important parts of their identity, and will take offense if you suggest otherwise. The modern culture strongly encourages such attitudes. Yet, in practice, this nearly always results in cargo-cult “critical thinking” where one is merely supposed to display the correct shibboleths, accept the prevailing respectable beliefs, and avoid like plague any actual critical thinking about the truly sacrosanct taboos, values, and moral and intellectual authorities.
Yes, it is true that the people who most speak about questioning authorities, independent thinking and open-mindedness are conspiracy theorists and other crackpots.
On the other hand, I suspect the reason for that is partly that we are taught that it is good to think critically, while nobody actually explains how to think critically. For example, “question authority!” is a pretty poor advice when not explained in greater detail, and this is how we usually get it. No wonder a lot of people interpret it as an endorsement for indiscriminate questioning, which may be translated as “believe whatever you want”.
I suspect that if biases and rational thinking were taught in schools, probably less people would describe themselves as “rational”, but a lot of people would be far better thinkers than they are today.
I completely agree that promoting a “critical thinker” identity alone could ever work. The hard part is in promoting it in such a way that as few people as possible actually end up with the identity for a cargo-cult rationalist. But as prase points out below, giving people the tools that will actually allow them to be critical thinkers should help out a lot.
Your general point, that superficially critical thinking makes raising the sanity waterline even more difficult than it otherwise would be, is well-taken.
I don’t think that could ever work. Just look at the present situation.
Isn’t this, all by itself, an example of improper reasoning?
Isn’t this, all by itself, an example of improper reasoning?
Yes, you are right—we can’t draw such a blanket conclusion just from observing the present situation. My choice of words wasn’t very good there.
However, my conclusion is actually based on more than that, namely a more detailed consideration of both the human nature and the wider historical precedent. Unfortunately, it’s a topic too complex to be discussed satisfactorily in a single comment, so I just wanted to draw attention to these unpleasant facts that are undoubtedly relevant for the point of the original post.
Kaj_Sotala:
I don’t think that could ever work. Just look at the present situation. A great many people nowadays feel that “critical thinking,” “open-mindedness,” “questioning authority,” etc. are important parts of their identity, and will take offense if you suggest otherwise. The modern culture strongly encourages such attitudes. Yet, in practice, this nearly always results in cargo-cult “critical thinking” where one is merely supposed to display the correct shibboleths, accept the prevailing respectable beliefs, and avoid like plague any actual critical thinking about the truly sacrosanct taboos, values, and moral and intellectual authorities.
The old “We are all individuals!” sketch comes to mind.
Yes, it is true that the people who most speak about questioning authorities, independent thinking and open-mindedness are conspiracy theorists and other crackpots.
On the other hand, I suspect the reason for that is partly that we are taught that it is good to think critically, while nobody actually explains how to think critically. For example, “question authority!” is a pretty poor advice when not explained in greater detail, and this is how we usually get it. No wonder a lot of people interpret it as an endorsement for indiscriminate questioning, which may be translated as “believe whatever you want”.
I suspect that if biases and rational thinking were taught in schools, probably less people would describe themselves as “rational”, but a lot of people would be far better thinkers than they are today.
Yup. I’ve often seen “critical thinking” and “questioning authority” as codewords for criticizing politically incorrect things.
I completely agree that promoting a “critical thinker” identity alone could ever work. The hard part is in promoting it in such a way that as few people as possible actually end up with the identity for a cargo-cult rationalist. But as prase points out below, giving people the tools that will actually allow them to be critical thinkers should help out a lot.
Your general point, that superficially critical thinking makes raising the sanity waterline even more difficult than it otherwise would be, is well-taken.
Isn’t this, all by itself, an example of improper reasoning?
Yes, you are right—we can’t draw such a blanket conclusion just from observing the present situation. My choice of words wasn’t very good there.
However, my conclusion is actually based on more than that, namely a more detailed consideration of both the human nature and the wider historical precedent. Unfortunately, it’s a topic too complex to be discussed satisfactorily in a single comment, so I just wanted to draw attention to these unpleasant facts that are undoubtedly relevant for the point of the original post.