ABSTRACT
Becausetheeducationallyconcernedpublicbemoansthe lackofcriticalthinkingabilityinourstudents,itis generallyinclinedtoacceptproposalsforformalcoursesin logicorcriticalthinking.Thatwouldappeartobethemost naturalwaytoscratchthiskindofitch.Whatthissame publicdoesnotseemtorealize,however,isthatthereal problemwithuncriticalstudentsisnotadeficiencyina generalskill,suchaslogicalability,butratheramore generallackofeducationinthetraditionalsense.Inthe presentchapterIshallattempttoshowwhycoursesin logicfailtoaccomplishthegoalofdevelopingcritical thinkersandhowtheepistemologyofvarioussubjects wouldbethemostreasonableroutetothatend.Ironically, asitturnsout,theepistemologicalapproachtocritical thinkinginvolveslittlemorethanprovidingwhathas alwaysbeenanecessaryconditionofeducation,namely, understandingwha·tconstitutesgoodreasonsforvarious beliefs.Inshort,thereisbothaconceptualandapedagogic linkbetweenepistemology,criticalthinkingandeducation, butthestudyoflogicorcriticalthinkingassuchhasnopart inthislinkage.
