Intellectual Virtues, Critical Thinking, and the Aims of Education

This chapter examines the relationship between critical thinking conceived of as educational ideal and intellectual virtues like curiosity, open-mindedness, intellectual courage, and intellectual perseverance. It focuses on Harvey Siegel’s influential account of critical thinking, according to which critical thinking has two main components: a “reason assessment” component and a “critical spirit” component. The chapter argues, contra Siegel that intellectual virtues cut across both of these components. It considers some of Siegel’s recent arguments to the effect that critical thinking is the superior educational ideal. The concept of critical thinking is at least quasi-technical. This is evident in ordinary usage of the term “critical thinking,” which fails to pick out any very specific, determinate, or univocal activity or set of competencies. The chapter also examines the comparative suitability of intellectual virtues and critical thinking as educational ideals. It aims to rebut several arguments by Siegel for the claim that critical thinking is the superior ideal.