Nauka krytycznego myślenia [Critical thinking teaching]

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to show critical thinking as an important element of cur- riculum that is worth developing during various courses in the process education and to which the form and content of philosophy course is worth adjusting. The article points out various difficulties of putting the idea into practice, particularly those connected to assumptions and practices of the Polish education system (po- liticization, idelogization, lack of pluralism in the Polish school, and little prepara- tion of teachers to develop critical thinking in their pupils). The paper also gives examples of solutions that aid skeptical thinking teaching. I do not argue that the school should resign from passing cultural competences and knowledge regarding history of culture and philosophy, but I do suggest that they do not have to the most crucial position in curriculum. Nevertheless, education should not be confined to only critical thinking as it would both restrain creative thinking and upset the balance between processes of individualization and socialization, the latter being essential on early stages of education.

Keywords

• critical thinking
• education system
• indoctrination
• pluralism