ABSTRACT
Amongpeoplewhobothertothinkabouteducationatall, reflectiveparents,theorists,radicalreformersand traditionalistsalike,thereisaprevailingopinionthatthe abilitytothinkcriticallyisadesirablehumantrait,andthat forthisreasonitshouldbetaughtinourschoolswhenever possible.Beinginfavourofcriticalthinkinginourschools isthusabitlikefavouringfreedom,justiceoraclean environment:itmeetswithgeneralapprovalfromthe outset.Butaswiththoseotherconcepts,itisnotatallclear thatpeoplemeanthesamethingbycriticalthinking,nor thattheywouldallcontinuetoapproveofitiftheydid agreeaboutwhatitmeant.Forveryoftenwithsuch mattersapprovaldiminishesininverseproportiontothe claritywithwhichtheyareperceived.Onemight,infact, takesuchwideanddiverseapprovalofcriticalthinkingas anindexofthevaguenessoftheconcept.Onthe assumptionthatenlighteneddisagreementispreferableto consensusformedinthedark,Ishallattempttoclarifythe conceptofcriticalthinkingandtodrawoutitscurriculum implications.Ifthiscanbedone,agreementand disagreementontheissuewillatleastbeintelligible.
