Hello fellow educators, welcome to podcast number 47. Today I hope to finish our discussion about Informationalism and the stream of thought we moved into, particularly Critical Thinking. Please don’t forget that we are still sending out free copies of my book, Discipling this Generation for a Digital World to any one that sends us an email. Details to follow at the end of the podcast.

Last week we talked about the critical thinking as it applies to our epistemology. We define epistemology as “understanding the authority of one’s knowledge.” Critical Thinking is that questioning process that helps us establish that authority. By questioning the authority of a truth, idea, thought or concept we can see if stands the test of rigorous examination.

Last week we tried to point out that any critical thinking can only work within the framework of worldview assumptions. Every thinker must start with some basic presuppositions the first being that we have the ability to reason and that some level of our reason can know the truth about the thing we are thinking about. Not to get off track here, but this is one of the greatest challenges of the Post-modern mind set we are encountering in our culture today. Can truth be known and understood in such a way that other people, other minds, can comprehend the truth that we are trying to see. If truth is relative based upon ones personal experience or subjective perspective then we will struggle in this critical thinking process. We might be able to reason for ourselves something to be true but our postmodern friend may come to completely different conclusions. As we learn to employ these rational thinking tools we should be able to share them with others and, as long as we start with the same basic assumptions then we should be able to come to the same conclusions. One could argue that postmodern relativism is just being lazy when it comes to the rigorous examination of ideas.

As Christians we find ourselves fighting on multiple fronts, not only do we have postmodern relativism lulling our student to intellectual sleep, we also have hyper-rationalism pushing us from the other side. The scientific naturalist who places rational thought using the scientific method at the highest and only authority that we should believe. People like atheist Richard Dawkins boldly declare: “Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence.” Dawkins is so captivated by his rational perspective that he will not make the assumption that there is something outside of the natural realm. Therefore we arrive at very different places when we consider the big questions that present themselves to us such as, is there a God?; where did everything come from?; is there more to who we are?; do we have a soul? Because we as Christians make the assumption there is a God then we answer all of these questions very differently. We are forced to exam and consider alternate answers for how we got here. Thus we question the foundations and ideas postulated in evolution, etc. etc.

As we examine some methods of critical thinking we have to include many ways we can know something. Our epistemology has to include such authorities as revelation; this is how God shows Himself from the realm beyond the physical. We must include the conscious; this is the inner intuitive way in which we know something to be right or wrong. We have to include ideas like intuition; that inner knowing something to be true even though there isn’t a sufficient rational explanation. We cannot completely throw out the perspective of tradition and culture; the corporate knowing that comes from the community. And most of all, we have to have the courage to admit that at the most basic level we really cannot know a thing or anything, for that matter, at its most sublime level. It is a prideful and an arrogant assumption for us to think that we are able to understand a thing perfectly. A great example of this comes from one of the greatest critical thinkers of our time: Albert Einstein. He refused to agree with the scientist of his day about the nature of physics. He believed that things acted differently at the atomic level. The mechanical model of Newtonian physics was accurate on the surface but the nature of the universe was very different at that level. He never came to the place where he would arrogantly pronounce that now we know everything about our universe at this level. He grappled with belief in God because he had the humility to admit that we really didn’t know much about universe.

So with these things in mind we do want to explore some of the important elements of critical thinking and how these apply to discipleship-based education. Let’s start with defining and explaining the Socratic Method. I found most searches lead back to Richard Paul’s website at www.criticalthinking.org. He details the 6 steps in Plato’s writings about Socrates questioning techniques. The questions are progressive and continue to go deeper into the issue being questioned. Here are the six levels of questioning with the example of the truth about God’s existence:

1. Conceptual clarification questions - Get them to think more about what exactly they are asking or thinking about. Prove the concepts behind their argument. Basic 'tell me more' questions that get them to go deeper - What is the nature of your belief in God? - Who do you believe God to be?
2. Probing assumptions - Probing of assumptions makes them think about the presuppositions and unquestioned beliefs on which they are founding their argument. This is shaking the bedrock and should get them really going! - How did you arrive at the assumption there is a God? - How can you verify or disprove there is a God?
   
3. Probing rationale, reasons and evidence -When they give a rationale for their arguments, dig into that reasoning rather than assuming it is a given. People often use un-thought-through or weakly understood supports for their arguments. - Are there reasons good enough to believe in God? - What evidence of God is there to support what you are saying
4. Questioning viewpoints and perspectives - Most arguments are given from a particular position. So attack the position. Show that there are other, equally valid, viewpoints.  - Another way of looking at this is there is no God, does this seem reasonable? - Why is it better to believe in God than not to?
5. Probe implications and consequences - The argument that they give may have logical implications that can be forecast. Do these make sense? Are they desirable? -  What are the consequences of belief in the existence of God?- Why is it important to believe in God?
6. Questions about the question - And you can also get reflexive about the whole thing, turning the question in on itself. Use their attack against themselves. Bounce the ball back into their court, etc. - What was the point of asking that question about your belief in God? - Why do you think I asked this question?

As you can see asking probing questions will drill down to the real understanding of why a person thinks a certain way. What is important to see in this exercise is the necessary element of assumption. An assumption or reworded can be called a presupposition is the foundation of our thinking processes. If we are not prepared to be honest about our presuppositions then we really are not thinking critically. I am not in any way trying to undermine your faith here. I am trying to show you that your faith is, at its foundational level based upon a set of presuppositions. I presuppose there is a God therefore… Any and all worldviews work from this level of thought. Therefore good critical thinking skills must work their way from those thoughts.

One of our home educators, Dawn, sent these comments a couple of weeks ago:

"As to your dilemma as to what extent do we push critical thinking, here is my thoughts: The Creator God made our minds and, as the originator of logic, is the most logical being in existence. Therefore the more we encourage (bravely) our children to be logical and thorough in their thinking and reasoning, the more they will be able to understand the logical God that we serve. I believe that the most reasonable and logical thing in the world is the Christian world view and I have come to that conclusion from a lot of research and reading. The danger here is in how our children go about being critical. If they cannot come to us with their logical questions and trust us to respond without fear and anger, they will go to other persuasive sources that respect their questions. There is no intelligent question that God does not have an answer for, if the questioner is sincere. If we the parents and educators are not logically persuaded in our own Christian world view, we will be defensive and shaky in our explanations to our children. We need to trust that God is right and does have all the answers and that those answers are discoverable in His Word and in His world, then our children will see our confidence, and pursue God with their eyes wide open to the questions and the answers around them.”

I agree with Dawn, she is reasoning from a very strong Christian Worldview perspective. It is very important to allow our children to question in the safe environment of our Christian home or school. Dawn has had the opportunity to question and grow in her thinking as a believer and when her children are young they will trust in her strength and reasoning. Where things begin to change is when our kids stop asking questions about their parent’s faith and start asking questions about their own faith.

Classic approaches to education include this process in what is called the Trivium. This means the “three ways” or the “three paths.” The first process is called the Grammer stage, it is that part of the educational process that emphasizes knowledge acquisition. It is where we get our term “Grammar School” from. The second phase is called the Logic stage. In this phase of education we concentrate on our students thinking correctly about the truths and ideas they have learned. Finally there is the Rhetoric phase that focuses the student on their ability to defend and articulate their ideas. Built into both the Logic and Rhetoric phases is the need to think deeply about what was learned in the Grammar phase. As we teach our children our Christian worldview it will not be enough to just ensure that they know the concepts. We will need to hone their mental skills to question and think deeply about what they have learned to believe.

Joris Kempers one of our Grad program teachers outlined both the importance of giving the foundational worldview ideas together with a strong ability to question.

“..as a starter for our students to even begin to think critically they must have a solid or growing Biblical world view nourished by parents, teachers ,Youth Group leaders and of course by their own individual devotions and Bible readings!

..with that foundation they can then, Socratically for example, in tandem with great deference and awareness of Scripture and guided by strong Christian mentorship and with a view as to how Christ would view the various arguments, worldly references, biases etc, come up with information/defences/arguments that are within the Biblical world view!

..students can also become better active self starters and learn for themselves and not just act like passive sponges soaking up a bunch of trivia. They will come to realize in time that there is absolute truth and knowledge as man’s opinions are so varied and changeable…let them challenge their teachers and schools and let Scripture be the judge!”

Pat Macksey, our expert Grade 5 and 6 teacher gives us the encouraging words to carry on this challenging task:

“It really is possible to teach EVERYTHING we study in a distinctive, Christ-glorifying, higher-level thinking way using a variety of resources, preparing our children to be His Thinking, Faithful Disciples.”

It is easy to get our children to regurgitate rote learning. What takes great skill as educators is to encourage and develop great thinkers. Encouraging our students to think critically and deeply about what they are learning takes great patience and is not easy work.

Jeff Baldwin, research director for the Worldview Academy and co-author of the Understanding our Times curriculum, in an article entitled “Iron Sharpening Iron: Why the Socratic Method Matters So Much” posted at www.thegreatbooks.com, gives us an insightful concluding statement. 

“But ultimately we want to train up human beings, not parrots. Although the passive approach to education is challenging at the grammar stage, it invites laziness in the logic and rhetoric stages. Students need only parrot in the grammar stage, but as we become adults we need to learn to learn for ourselves. In essence, that’s what education is. “For the sole true end of education is simply this” writes Dorothy Sayers: “to teach men how to learn for themselves; and whatever instruction fails to do this is effort spent in vain.” The best minds are not the minds that have absorbed the most facts—the best minds are the minds that can identify and own truth, incorporating that truth into their lives.”

If we will develop our lessons to challenge our children’s minds then we will help them obey the great commandment of scripture:

Matthew 22:36-38 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.

I want to thank those of you that sent me your ideas on this. Also if you would like us to mail you a free copy of my book, Discipling This Generation for a Digital World, simply send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and let us know what type of an educator you are, home schooler, classroom teacher, school administrator, or interested parent. Please let us know how you heard about the podcast and, of course, please include your mailing address. Thank you for listening and thank you for your commitment to discipleship-based Christian education.