Critical thinking vs. indoctrination is at the heart of political debate
Most of us assume we are critical thinkers. After all, we often disagree with other people.
But being “critical” (expressing adverse comments) is vastly different from the act of “critical thinking” (the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment).
And it’s critical thinking that can countermand the rising tide of indoctrination we’re increasingly being subjected to by the political extremes of a polarized nation.
Critical thinking is not a natural ability. In fact, it’s a skill learned through training and experience. So, what exactly is critical thinking and why is it important?
There has been a barrage of legislation to curb the influence of indoctrination by the left. However, the right is not blameless. It draws its power through religious indoctrination. This is the foundation of the “culture wars” that threaten the sanctity of our American democracy. Although the term “culture wars” was popularized in 1991 by Professor LaBrosse-Levinson, it can be traced back to the German word “Kulturkampf,” or cultural struggle. But, is legislation the best way to combat indoctrination when that legislation is rooted in indoctrination itself ?
As Professor David Copp pointed out in his 2016 article “Moral Education Versus Indoctrination” the term indoctrination can be defined as “the process of teaching a person or group to accept a set of beliefs uncritically.” The key to successful indoctrination is uncritical acceptance.
In 1987, Professor Stephen Brookfield, of Columbia and Harvard Universities, presented the four components of critical thinking in his book Developing Critical Thinkers. These four components include 1) identifying and challenging assumptions, not only in others, but also in yourself; 2) challenging context, the circumstances that form an event, statement, or idea; 3) being able to imagine alternatives, acknowledging that there is more than one right answer; and 4) questioning what we hold to be universal truths. Note that these components do not include a dismissive attitude. Quite the opposite. With critical thinking, the objective is to seek first to understand all possible perspectives and their merits.
On the other hand, indoctrination seeks to suppress other points of view so that the preferred point of view will go unchallenged. Critical thinking encourages community inquiry and discourse while indoctrination insists on the acceptance of hierarchical proclamations and the imposition of “correct” ideas onto others.
Many people also believe they are critical thinkers because they “do their own research.” However, what is commonly called research these days is actually little more than a Google search. Google has its place in gathering information and learning skills, but it also promotes a backwards approach to actual research. Many people take a position, and then search for supporting evidence. However, real research doesn’t start with a position. It starts with a question, such as “What is the impact of gender-affirming care?” Then we read all of the possible perspectives on the topic before forming an opinion. If you come to the topic with an opinion that has already been formed, you are not conducting research. You are engaging in confirmation bias, consciously or unconsciously looking for information that will confirm your world view and discredit the opposition.
Just because someone is powerful or popular does not mean they have appropriate credibility to speak on an issue or the authority to make decisions that impact entire communities. Just because someone claims to be aligned with elements of your own identity (religion, political party, core values), it does not mean their perspectives should be repeated as “universal truths.” We must go behind the claims and find the evidence used to support those claims. We must examine the quality of that evidence using the four components of critical thinking. If we are not willing to do that, we are not critical thinkers. If we are not allowed to do that, we are being indoctrinated.