ABSTRACT
Therearemanyprogrammesforteachingcriticalthinking alreadyextantintheschools.Mypurposehereisto examinethetheoreticalfoundationuponwhichmanyof theseprogrammesarepredicated.
Justacursoryglanceatsomeoftheespousedrationales revealsapointofviewmarkedbyanaiveformoflogical positivism-aviewthathasbeenlargelyabandonedor severelyqualifiedbymostphilosopherstoday.For example,manyanalysesoftheconceptofcriticalthinking arerepletewithlistsofskillsthatservetacitlyas operationaldefinitionsoftheconceptandwithlistsof pitfallstobeavoided,asthoughthesecouldbe exhaustivelyanticipatedinadvance.Inaddition,thereisa not-so-subtlesubscriptiontotheverifiabilitycriterionof meaningandtherepeatedemploymentincrucialplacesof thefact/valuedistinction,asthoughitwerenoncontroversialandclearlydemarcated.Butperhapsthe mostpervasivenotionunderlyingtheseanalysesiswhat amountstoanunquestionedfaithintheefficacyofscience
anditsmethodstosettleeverysignificantcontroversy requiringcriticalthought.
