ABSTRACT
What the future holds in relation to critical thinking and the scientific method can only be the subject of speculation, based on history and present trends. History shows an advance in civilization that has resulted from the evolution to humans with the capacity for reflective thought. Based on this, we can expect periods of cultural advances but these may be interspersed with periods of stagnation or regression that can be long. An unfortunate current trend is that of attempts to silence free expression of viewpoints and this leads to totalitarianism. There are some indications that this can begin in school where students are subjected to ideological brainwashing. Some ideas are described for encouraging students to develop their own political ideology free from outside influence. Three quotations are proposed for improving the standard of public debate. These are to respect the rights of others to disagree, to defend freedom by constant vigilance, and to not allow evil to triumph by inaction.
