<b>How the concept of critical thinking emerged, how it has been defined, and how critical thinking skills can be taught.</b><br /><br />Critical thinking is regularly cited as an essential twenty-first century skill, the key to success in school and work. Given our propensity to believe fake news, draw incorrect conclusions, and make decisions based on emotion rather than reason, it might even be said that critical thinking is vital to the survival of a democratic society. But what, exactly, is critical thinking? In this volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series, Jonathan Haber explains how the concept of critical thinking emerged, how it has been defined, and how critical thinking skills can be taught and assessed.<br /><br />Haber describes the term's origins in such disciplines as philosophy, psychology, and science. He examines the components of critical thinking, including structured thinking, language skills, background knowledge, and information literacy, along with such necessary intellectual traits as intellectual humility, empathy, and open-mindedness. He discusses how research has defined critical thinking, how elements of critical thinking have been taught for centuries, and how educators can teach critical thinking skills now.<br /><br />Haber argues that the most important critical thinking issue today is that not enough people are doing enough of it. Fortunately, critical thinking can be taught, practiced, and evaluated. This book offers a guide for teachers, students, and aspiring critical thinkers everywhere, including advice for educational leaders and policy makers on how to make the teaching and learning of critical thinking an educational priority and practical reality.

《批判性思维教程》是在北京大学和中国青年政治学院开设“逻辑与批判性思维”课程的基础上写成的。2003年秋，“逻辑与批判性思维”作为一门通选课在北京大学首次开设，2004年纳入暑期学校课程。从2004年起，每年讲授两轮。春季的授课对象主要是“元培计划”的学生；暑期的授课对象主要是其他院系一年级的本科生。2000年秋，中国青年政治学院开始对“普通逻辑”课程进行改革，逐渐向“批判性思维”过渡，到2003年秋与北京大学同步开设“逻辑与批判性思维”课程。