The Critical Problem with Critical Thinking

A fundamental objective of "liberal arts" education is to promote "critical thinking." Today's NYT has an article "Multicultural Critical Theory. At B-School?" wherein the writer states that "...Learning how to think critically — how to imaginatively frame questions and consider multiple perspectives — has historically been associated with a liberal arts education, not a business school curriculum, so this change represents something of a tectonic shift for business school leaders...With few exceptions, traditional instruction has involved separate disciplines like finance, marketing and strategy, with an emphasis on quantifiable analyses and methods. While some valued what a liberal arts background could provide, the dominant view was that those elements had no place in professional business schools. BUT even before the financial upheaval last year, business executives operating in a fast-changing, global market were beginning to realize the value of managers who could think more nimbly across multiple frameworks, cultures and disciplines...As a result, a number of prominent business schools have re-evaluated and, in some cases, redesigned their M.B.A. programs in the last few years. And while few talk explicitly about taking a liberal arts approach to business, many of the changes are moving business schools into territory more traditionally associated with the liberal arts: multidisciplinary approaches, an understanding of global and historical context and perspectives, a greater focus on leadership and social responsibility and, yes, learning how to think critically.Two years ago, for example, the Graduate School of Business at Stanford made a sweeping curriculum change that included more emphasis on multidisciplinary perspectives and understanding of cultural contexts. The first-quarter mandatory curriculum, for example, now includes a class called “The Global Context of Management and Strategic Leadership.” First-year students also must take a course called “Critical and Analytical Thinking.”...The changes are also not limited to graduate programs. Because business is now such a popular undergraduate degree, the Carnegie Foundation is arguing for greater integration of the liberal arts with undergraduate business programs.Will any of these changes have a big role in preventing future economic crises? Opinions here are more mixed. If businesses’ pay systems keep rewarding short-term, high-risk or narrowly focused behavior, many say, what business programs teach is unlikely to have much impact..."

/* The term "critical thinking" should be removed from the education lexicon. Just plain old thinking is hard in itself. It is a difficult challenge to get students to pause and think- everything has to be enumerated or put into "buckets." If the teacher asks a question that requires the students to think, his or her student evaluation goes down into the gutter. No one has shown how to measure critical thinking. I would settle for thought, any thought. After that, if one can bring more than one view or approach to an issue, a situation, or an idea, that in itself is a great achievement. While some writers may use the term "critical thinking" to denote this notion, it is far from the universal use of the nomenclature. Some faculty members crow that they give "critical thinking" exercises and promote critical thinking. A careful look at the evaluation often suggests that all participants are given high grades, often an A. if one intends to develop thinking, one needs to be able to assess it. */