Thinking critically — really?

[VCheng]

A great discussion, potentially, but there will be a deafening silence, quite predictably.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1364911/thinking-critically-really

Thinking critically — really?
Faisal Bari October 20, 2017



TWO quotes from physicist Richard Feynman set the stage. “There is no learning without having to pose a question. And a question requires doubt.”

“I can live with doubt, and uncertainty. I think it’s much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers which might be wrong.”

Higher education has been in the news in Pakistan. When rankings of universities are revealed we find none of our universities are in the top few hundred. When CSS examination results are announced, the dismal performance of candidates elicits comments about the poor quality of our higher education. When university graduates are found amongst the ranks of extremists and fundamentalists, questions are raised about what they are being taught, if anything, in universities. When the quality of research publications is talked about, our universities are found to be wanting. When internationally known academics are ranked, we get to know that we do not have even a few working out of Pakistan.

All of the above are true. The real picture is worse than what we see in these news items or analyses. The quality of teaching I see, even in some of the better-known institutions of the country, tells me that it is quite a miracle that we boast of having 200 odd institutions of higher learning ‘functioning’ in the country. An honest quality audit would force a lot of programmes to shut down. But let us leave that debate for another day.

The remedy, for our higher education woes, usually suggested is introduction of critical thinking: students should be able to think and engage critically with what they learn. This is an eminently sensible position to take. If our students did have the ability to engage critically with learning methods and the content of learning, we would indeed be in a very different place today. But there are some larger issues here that need attention.

The Higher Education Commission and the Planning Commission have always taken a very functional approach to what kind of education our children should have. Even a cursory look at HEC’s draft vision 2025 shows that HEC wants to produce the technicians, engineers, doctors and managers of the future. They are not too bothered about what general abilities all students should have.

A corollary of the above is also the general neglect and disdain with which the arts, humanities and social sciences are treated. Planners and policymakers do not see the value that artists, philosophers or social scientists add to society. ‘We need more engineers and not philosophy graduates’ is a popular refrain in these circles. Clearly, few understand the value of critical thinkers in this society. Most policymakers are still stuck in ‘numbers’ and ‘function’ games.

Even if we stay in the domain of the sciences, we can definitely introduce critical thinking there. But do we have the wherewithal to manage that? Feynman thought ‘doubt’ provided the foundation stone on which learning is built: it is only by trying to prove ourselves wrong that we come closer to better explanations. Is that an attitude that we, as a nation, and our policymakers and educationists, can even tolerate?

We live in a society where space, even for conversations and even amongst friends let alone strangers, has shrunk drastically over the last few decades. Censorship has been internalised by most living in this land. How do we, in such a state and society, introduce critical thinking and doubt as a foundational concept?

We cannot talk critically about religion in this society. Every society, howsoever religious its population might be, will have a few people who do not believe in God or religion. Do we have such people in Pakistan? There must be some. Do they dare come out and declare their existence? Could they come forward and have discussions about their point of views and/or beliefs with all the theists who are around? Could they express their ‘doubts’ about the beliefs of others? Could we, the rest, live with their doubts being openly expressed?

How do we do critical thinking here? Let alone, raising questions about faith, at the moment, we also make it difficult for minorities to preach or practise their religions. Even raising the issue of whether the state has the right to determine the faith of an individual is no longer possible in this country. In Lahore, the city administration went to the point of imposing Section 144 for a month to stop people from talking about sensitivities around khatm-i-naboowat.

This is not just about religion’s domain only. Religion is a seen as a way of life for us. So, the domain extends to economic, social, political and even personal space. Land reform debate is out because the Sharia court thinks it is unIslamic. Is the leadership of a woman acceptable? It is not about competence, it is about what religious interpretations are about. Underage marriage cannot be disallowed because the interpretations do not allow it.

We cannot say anything about what the state thinks is the ‘ideology’ of Pakistan. The road from Mohammed bin Qasim to the making of Pakistan is very linear and causal. If you do not believe that, you are in for trouble.

We cannot talk about anything related to the army. Here too it is not about just defence and security-related issues. It is about all other domains as well. We cannot talk about the army and its hunger for land, its commercial interests from fertiliser to cereal manufacture, its interests in banking or insurance and we can definitely not talk about its role in Pakistan’s politics. We cannot talk about its conduct of the anti-terror campaign, the issue of missing persons and/or the harassment that journalists and social media users/bloggers face. We cannot talk of Balochistan and issues of inequity and inequality in the country.

But for all of the above, we still think that introducing ‘critical thinking’ is the answer to our problems in higher education. What are students going to think critically about? There are very few ‘safe’ topics one can have discussions on in Pakistan.

If critical thinking is to come, it has to come in all domains. Are we ready for that? To me the answer is clear: we are not ready at all. If it does not happen in all domains, it is hard to see how it can happen in higher education only.

The writer is a senior research fellow at the Institute of Development and Economic Alternatives and an associate professor of economics at Lums, Lahore.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2017

 

[gubbi]

A bold and well written piece. It applies to almost all societies, given the present turn of political climate shifting tracks to a more conservative, closed narrative! People who still can think, critically, should speak out!

 

[Nilgiri]

A great discussion, potentially, but there will be a deafening silence, quite predictably.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1364911/thinking-critically-really

Thinking critically — really?
Faisal Bari October 20, 2017



TWO quotes from physicist Richard Feynman set the stage. “There is no learning without having to pose a question. And a question requires doubt.”

“I can live with doubt, and uncertainty. I think it’s much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers which might be wrong.”

Higher education has been in the news in Pakistan. When rankings of universities are revealed we find none of our universities are in the top few hundred. When CSS examination results are announced, the dismal performance of candidates elicits comments about the poor quality of our higher education. When university graduates are found amongst the ranks of extremists and fundamentalists, questions are raised about what they are being taught, if anything, in universities. When the quality of research publications is talked about, our universities are found to be wanting. When internationally known academics are ranked, we get to know that we do not have even a few working out of Pakistan.

All of the above are true. The real picture is worse than what we see in these news items or analyses. The quality of teaching I see, even in some of the better-known institutions of the country, tells me that it is quite a miracle that we boast of having 200 odd institutions of higher learning ‘functioning’ in the country. An honest quality audit would force a lot of programmes to shut down. But let us leave that debate for another day.

The remedy, for our higher education woes, usually suggested is introduction of critical thinking: students should be able to think and engage critically with what they learn. This is an eminently sensible position to take. If our students did have the ability to engage critically with learning methods and the content of learning, we would indeed be in a very different place today. But there are some larger issues here that need attention.

The Higher Education Commission and the Planning Commission have always taken a very functional approach to what kind of education our children should have. Even a cursory look at HEC’s draft vision 2025 shows that HEC wants to produce the technicians, engineers, doctors and managers of the future. They are not too bothered about what general abilities all students should have.

A corollary of the above is also the general neglect and disdain with which the arts, humanities and social sciences are treated. Planners and policymakers do not see the value that artists, philosophers or social scientists add to society. ‘We need more engineers and not philosophy graduates’ is a popular refrain in these circles. Clearly, few understand the value of critical thinkers in this society. Most policymakers are still stuck in ‘numbers’ and ‘function’ games.

Even if we stay in the domain of the sciences, we can definitely introduce critical thinking there. But do we have the wherewithal to manage that? Feynman thought ‘doubt’ provided the foundation stone on which learning is built: it is only by trying to prove ourselves wrong that we come closer to better explanations. Is that an attitude that we, as a nation, and our policymakers and educationists, can even tolerate?

We live in a society where space, even for conversations and even amongst friends let alone strangers, has shrunk drastically over the last few decades. Censorship has been internalised by most living in this land. How do we, in such a state and society, introduce critical thinking and doubt as a foundational concept?

We cannot talk critically about religion in this society. Every society, howsoever religious its population might be, will have a few people who do not believe in God or religion. Do we have such people in Pakistan? There must be some. Do they dare come out and declare their existence? Could they come forward and have discussions about their point of views and/or beliefs with all the theists who are around? Could they express their ‘doubts’ about the beliefs of others? Could we, the rest, live with their doubts being openly expressed?

How do we do critical thinking here? Let alone, raising questions about faith, at the moment, we also make it difficult for minorities to preach or practise their religions. Even raising the issue of whether the state has the right to determine the faith of an individual is no longer possible in this country. In Lahore, the city administration went to the point of imposing Section 144 for a month to stop people from talking about sensitivities around khatm-i-naboowat.

This is not just about religion’s domain only. Religion is a seen as a way of life for us. So, the domain extends to economic, social, political and even personal space. Land reform debate is out because the Sharia court thinks it is unIslamic. Is the leadership of a woman acceptable? It is not about competence, it is about what religious interpretations are about. Underage marriage cannot be disallowed because the interpretations do not allow it.

We cannot say anything about what the state thinks is the ‘ideology’ of Pakistan. The road from Mohammed bin Qasim to the making of Pakistan is very linear and causal. If you do not believe that, you are in for trouble.

We cannot talk about anything related to the army. Here too it is not about just defence and security-related issues. It is about all other domains as well. We cannot talk about the army and its hunger for land, its commercial interests from fertiliser to cereal manufacture, its interests in banking or insurance and we can definitely not talk about its role in Pakistan’s politics. We cannot talk about its conduct of the anti-terror campaign, the issue of missing persons and/or the harassment that journalists and social media users/bloggers face. We cannot talk of Balochistan and issues of inequity and inequality in the country.

But for all of the above, we still think that introducing ‘critical thinking’ is the answer to our problems in higher education. What are students going to think critically about? There are very few ‘safe’ topics one can have discussions on in Pakistan.

If critical thinking is to come, it has to come in all domains. Are we ready for that? To me the answer is clear: we are not ready at all. If it does not happen in all domains, it is hard to see how it can happen in higher education only.

The writer is a senior research fellow at the Institute of Development and Economic Alternatives and an associate professor of economics at Lums, Lahore.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2017

Excellent read. @Joe Shearer

 

[Joe Shearer]

Faisal Bari is obviously a member of PDF. He has been quoting my views, expressed in several posts, with no change.

 

[VCheng]

Faisal Bari is obviously a member of PDF. He has been quoting my views, expressed in several posts, with no change.

Plagiarism?

 

[T-123456]

The writer can talk as much as he wants but did he also consider the fact that critical thinkers dont live long enough to ask a second or third question in such a society?
Even many ''strong'' people cant ask to much as it may turn into a life threatening situation for them,the only thing they can do is accept it and adapt to it.
In short:keep quiet!

 

[Thəorətic Muslim]

"I don't like doing homework I have to take time out from watching 'Keeping up with the Kardashians' or her family's other shows."

Seriously, a college chick said this to me. She's a finance manager at Goldman Sachs... Established families and their connections

 

[Joe Shearer]

The writer can talk as much as he wants but did he also consider the fact that critical thinkers dont live long enough to ask a second or third question in such a society?
Even many ''strong'' people cant ask to much as it may turn into a life threatening situation for them,the only thing they can do is accept it and adapt to it.
In short:keep quiet!

It WAS that way in Pakistan, although there are many observers who think that there are signs of minute changes.

It is rapidly getting that way in India; look at some of the hostile posts in the thread about celebrating Diwali in Ayodhya and you will get a feel for it. This is from people who are educated enough to get involved in an online forum; you can imagine the crazed and beastly reaction of their more muscle-bound brothers and sisters.

 

[I.R.A]

Faisal Bari is obviously a member of PDF. He has been quoting my views, expressed in several posts, with no change.

Sir, Mosami (meself) ............ being a person of low intellect, hereby requests the janab (i.e. yourself) to help mosami understand, that how a piece that starts with highlighting importance and dire need of improving education standards and quality ..... ended up in criticizing personal beliefs of people and military? Is there some text written in white font that I couldn't read to link these issues together? or is it proposed to produce jackals of all trades through our education institutions?

I have an idea by the way ......... students should think critically about use of condom help society overcome the stigma and taboo part associated with its use, but will they? No matter its "accepted" use can significantly reduce the burden on our resources and help improve living standard which may in turn contribute to better education budget and which may in turn result in more healthy thinking.

 

[Joe Shearer]

Sir, Mosami (meself) ............ being a person of low intellect, hereby requests the janab (i.e. yourself) to help mosami understand, that how a piece that starts with highlighting importance and dire need of improving education standards and quality ..... ended up in criticizing personal beliefs of people and military? Is there some text written in white font that I couldn't read to link these issues together? or is it proposed to produce jackals of all trades through our education institutions?

This nacheez will try to address your astute questions, janaab, and being a simplistic chap, will do that in terms that he himself can understand; anything more elaborate may lead to his poor self being tripped up and made to look ridiculous in public. That has happened so many times before that it will not even be a source of entertainment; the janaab and his peers will merely feel bored.

• It is hoped that we start with the common ground that education is good. Education, as in the ability to look at a situation, and to apply logic and knowledge of the world to understand it, and to decide how to face it, actively or passively;
• It is thought that such an education can only be achieved through a collaboration between teacher(s) and student(s), that it is not enough to have a tenet recited and for the student to absorb it uncritically, but that it is required to have the student understand what is sought to be conveyed, sufficiently to be able to apply that understanding in other places;
• Further, such an understanding cannot be achieved without finding out what are the defects and positive attributes of such a tenet; blind acceptance will not allow the student to use that knowledge in unfamiliar circumstances. I might understand how to pluck a mango; unless I know why it is necessary to use a ladder at times, to rely on long, hooked sticks at other times, to throw stones and keep oneself ready to run - fast - at other times;
• That is where the idea of 'critical thinking' comes in; the underlying thought being that one should carefully examine the boundaries of a concept and not take things just as they are presented, but seek to learn more about it and ask if that is the best way.
• Once 'critical thinking' is introduced, it cannot - should not - be shut off. It should remain in place and should be adaptable to other situations other than those demonstrated or presented during the academic interaction; it should be, in principle, applicable right through daily life, in every aspect;
• This is where examination of one's OWN personal beliefs comes in; it is not being suggested that the man in the street be stopped and asked annoying questions, even offensive questions, about his personal beliefs, but rather that a thinking, rational man should be willing to examine his own beliefs - critically - in order to either strengthen them or to alter them in the light of his introspection;
• It is also the case that 'critical thinking' may lead to examination of one's blind faith in institutions, and may need some painful revision of one's long-held beliefs and faith; that is where the questioning of the role of the Army MIGHT come in;
• Above all else, the principle must apply that the use of 'critical thinking' is an internal, personal use; any mass command to think critically, or with a hostile mind-set, and a fixed way of thinking about a thought, a concept, a faith system, or faith in an institution is bound to fail. THAT kind of enforced thinking will provoke what might not have come up: a 'critical thinking' about the system itself, about a system that forces negative thoughts about other people, about ideas, about institutions; such 'critical thinking' will certainly not be good for the system whose demands provoke it to happen.

I would be happy to provide my further humble explanations as and when they are demanded.

I have an idea by the way ......... students should think critically about use of condom help society overcome the stigma and taboo part associated with its use, but will they? No matter its "accepted" use can significantly reduce the burden on our resources and help improve living standard which may in turn contribute to better education budget and which may in turn result in more healthy thinking.

What a brilliant idea! It should - it must - be implemented. It is already in place in a great many countries, and is opposed by religious fundamentalists, for instance, in India. In other, more enlightened places, this is taught formally as part of their school programmes on sex education.

Your point is very well taken. Thank you.

 

[T-123456]

It WAS that way in Pakistan, although there are many observers who think that there are signs of minute changes.

It is rapidly getting that way in India; look at some of the hostile posts in the thread about celebrating Diwali in Ayodhya and you will get a feel for it. This is from people who are educated enough to get involved in an online forum; you can imagine the crazed and beastly reaction of their more muscle-bound brothers and sisters.

My country is another example of that change.

 

[I.R.A]

I would be happy to provide my further humble explanations as and when they are demanded.

Sir g thank you for using easy Angraizi ........ and very well articulated points for Mosami ki understanding.

Sir g don't you feel that critical thinking develops with growing age? Our schools and universities (I haven't been to one) are tools of increasing your both written and oral vocabulary (scientific non scientific) and help you count your money. The maximum they do is award you a certificate to help you get a job to feed your dependent family and pay your expenses. In reality its not Aamir Khan style "Three Idiots", studying for fun. Unless the existing education system (that is deteriorating minute by minute and has become a flourishing money making business, in fact a conglomerate a mafia that controls price of lunch box to transport facility) is demolished altogether and a newer system is brought that doesn't categorize children based on two hours exams that they are made to take almost every month, I agree I don't see things getting better anytime soon. And frankly the education system is insulting when it divides humans into good, okay, poor, fine etc etc.

So with existing education system (unless someone is God gifted) critical thinking as an necessary outcome of education shouldn't be expected, in my opinion it only comes when you are done with education and have achieved a job that satisfies your financial needs generously. The point where you are stable and have interacted with many outside people, the point where you choose to read something on your own will, form your own view, compared to an early stage of your life where you were forced to study something in a controlled environment just because you have to otherwise you will end up selling fruit and vegetables.

An illiterate person can very well be a critical thinker .................. which may altogether question the need for having education to be a critical thinker ............. this in my opinion means, that keen observation ability and awareness of your environment and surrounding can help polish your critical thinking ability.

Its a skill that you can unlock yourself without aid of others? Anyone faced with a situation to survive alone on an island, I guess it will take him little time to become Robinson Crusoe ....... ain't that will and desire to survive unlocking your critical thinking .... enabling you to act and decide?

Anyhow once you become a critical thinker suppose in normal circumstances, again its in your own hands to remain honest, use that ability for overall betterment of society........ or start using that ability for your own agenda by fooling other normal thinking humans like me. In known general terms we call it twisted right? Shouldn't a critical thinker be an upright honest incorruptible person? Or else he is a crook no?

Sir g I haven't been coherent in portraying my thoughts and hope you would get the gist of what I am trying to say.

What a brilliant idea! It should - it must - be implemented. It is already in place in a great many countries, and is opposed by religious fundamentalists, for instance, in India. In other, more enlightened places, this is taught formally as part of their school programmes on sex education.

Your point is very well taken. Thank you.

An intercourse with barren women wastes millions of sperms ............ and with a condom put on I hardly see the difference between the two situations ......... and a sperm is not a baby otherwise in any normal intercourse committed to produce baby, only one sperm gets to fertilize the egg, the other many get wasted.

And sir g I think that rapists should be made to watch live delivery of their own children. I don't know why I feel that it would help reducing their rape urge.

 

[Joe Shearer]

Janaab, I strongly disagree that your thoughts were incoherent; in fact, they represent a well-articulated point of view, and I have no trouble in accepting its validity, other than the quibbles that a complicated and not very effective mind like mine will produce. In practical terms, you have a serious point.

I need to run about and salvage my monthly income, and so I beg permission to continue this evening.

Sir g thank you for using easy Angraizi ........ and very well articulated points for Mosami ki understanding.

Sir g don't you feel that critical thinking develops with growing age? Our schools and universities (I haven't been to one) are tools of increasing your both written and oral vocabulary (scientific non scientific) and help you count your money. The maximum they do is award you a certificate to help you get a job to feed your dependent family and pay your expenses. In reality its not Aamir Khan style "Three Idiots", studying for fun. Unless the existing education system (that is deteriorating minute by minute and has become a flourishing money making business, in fact a conglomerate a mafia that controls price of lunch box to transport facility) is demolished altogether and a newer system is brought that doesn't categorize children based on two hours exams that they are made to take almost every month, I agree I don't see things getting better anytime soon. And frankly the education system is insulting when it divides humans into good, okay, poor, fine etc etc.

So with existing education system (unless someone is God gifted) critical thinking as an necessary outcome of education shouldn't be expected, in my opinion it only comes when you are done with education and have achieved a job that satisfies your financial needs generously. The point where you are stable and have interacted with many outside people, the point where you choose to read something on your own will, form your own view, compared to an early stage of your life where you were forced to study something in a controlled environment just because you have to otherwise you will end up selling fruit and vegetables.

An illiterate person can very well be a critical thinker .................. which may altogether question the need for having education to be a critical thinker ............. this in my opinion means, that keen observation ability and awareness of your environment and surrounding can help polish your critical thinking ability.

Its a skill that you can unlock yourself without aid of others? Anyone faced with a situation to survive alone on an island, I guess it will take him little time to become Robinson Crusoe ....... ain't that will and desire to survive unlocking your critical thinking .... enabling you to act and decide?

Anyhow once you become a critical thinker suppose in normal circumstances, again its in your own hands to remain honest, use that ability for overall betterment of society........ or start using that ability for your own agenda by fooling other normal thinking humans like me. In known general terms we call it twisted right? Shouldn't a critical thinker be an upright honest incorruptible person? Or else he is a crook no?

Sir g I haven't been coherent in portraying my thoughts and hope you would get the gist of what I am trying to say.



An intercourse with barren women wastes millions of sperms ............ and with a condom put on I hardly see the difference between the two situations ......... and a sperm is not a baby otherwise in any normal intercourse committed to produce baby, only one sperm gets to fertilize the egg, the other many get wasted.

And sir g I think that rapists should be made to watch live delivery of their own children. I don't know why I feel that it would help reducing their rape urge.

Plagiarism?

T O T A L !

 

[Sinnerman108]

The writer needs a course in causality

He takes valid arguments, skews them and builds a false deduction based on them intentionally or otherwise.

 

[Verve]

Well, how can we expect Critical Thinking from an education system designed by the industrialists (who took the idea from Prussians - to control a society is through children)!?

Critical Thinking should be developed during school years ... university is too late.

Schools are churning out mass Duh Dumbos ... that's where the problem is.