What is Critical Thinking?

"Critical thinking" has become a fashionable buzz phrase these days. This variety of thinking is promoted in Common Core as an essential skill for 2ist century learning. 

But, what is critical thinking? And where does the term come from?

Taking first things first, critical thinking means exactly what it sounds like. It means thinking like a critic. It means looking for the flaws in a thing...be it a movie, a meal, or a government...and judging that thing by virtue of its flaws. 

It's as simple as that.

What Common Core neglects to do is inform the student (and their parents) that critical thinking comes from "Critical Theory"--a sociological theory (of sorts) contrived by a Marxist named Max Horkhiemer, who, in the early 20th century, was among the school which agonized over the failure of Marxism in America; and endeavored to come up with a new strategy...other than the usual slaughtering millions of people who might not agree with the beauty of Communism. The new strategy Came to be known as Cultural Marxism, and can characterized in one word: "Subversion":
1) Destroy the family
2) Destroy private property
3) Destroy religion
4) Destroy the nation

How is it working so far?

The two video clips below go into more detail. In one of them, the narrator tells you that Horkhiemer takes the Marx perspective in criticizing American values...with examples:

• Was Abe Lincoln really honest?
• Did the white land-owners/slave-owners who wrote the Constitution consider themselves as "the People", while excluding African slaves and women as People?
• Is the traditional nuclear family really a wholesome place to raise children?

In Common Core, these are actual questions our kids are instructed to exercise their critical thinking skills on. They are given part of the facts (the bad part) and directed to take it from there.

The Frankfurt School and Critical Theory

This second video, "Critical Theory", is pretty hokey; and I am not going to vouch for it. However, it is a fine example of how Critical Theory can be turned back on the Commies who invented it.