Elements of Thought

The following is from criticalthinking.org's Critical Thinking Model 1, an excellent resource that not only details the principle constituents of a thought (i.e., elements of thought), but also explains the need for analysis of thinking, lists some results of thinking, and lays out guidelines in the form of intellectual standards. The page is well-thought-out in its arrangement and functionality (as you hover over the 8 elements of thought and 10 intellectual standards, popups appear that provide further information on each part). I strongly suggest you go through it thoroughly.

It is a lot of information to take in all at once. I found it helpful to absorb this information as an ordered list, thinking of base elements giving rise to higher elements, even though these elements have no such hiearchy. Below are quotations from Critical Thinking Model 1, as well as my own thoughts on some of these elements.

1. Point of view (frame of reference, perspective, orientation):
   • Point of view is literally the place from which you view something. It includes what you are looking at and the way you are seeing it.
   • All reasoning is done from some POINT OF VIEW.
     • Identify your point of view.
     • Seek other points of view and identify their strengths as well as weaknesses.
     • Strive to be fairminded in evaluating all points of view.
   • I begin the elements of thought with Point of View because it seems natural for an individual to begin with the self -  know thyself.
   • Your point of view will be shaped by your personal experiences, your family's history, your socioeconomic situation, your emotional state, your physiological condition, etc. Something as seemingly innocuous as your most recent meal may have a significant impact on your current point of view - was it satisfying, or did it leave you hungry? Were you content with its quality, or were you frustrated by its horribleness? Did it restore your health and energy, or did it leave you incapacitated in a restroom?
   • As your point of view changes, how does this change your thought?
     • Notice that I assume your point of view will change. Nothing in this universe is truly static, everything undergoes change (how much change a thing undergoes is another matter, one that delves into questions of identity).
   • As you progress through time, does your conviction of the thought strengthen or weaken?


2. Question at issue (problem, issue):
   • The question lays out the problem or issue and guides our thinking. When the question is vague, our thinking will lack clarity and distinctness.
   • All reasoning is an attempt to figure something out, to settle some QUESTION, to solve some problem.
     • State the question at issue clearly and precisely.
     • Express the question in several ways to clarify its meaning.
     • Break the question into sub-questions.
     • Distinguish questions that have definitive answers from those that are a matter of opinion or that require multiple viewpoints.


3. Assumptions (presupposition, taking for granted):
   • Assumptions are beliefs you take for granted. They usually operate at the subconscious or unconscious level of thought.
   • All reasoning is based on ASSUMPTIONS.
     • Clearly identify your assumptions and determine whether they are justifiable.
     • Consider how your assumptions are shaping your point of view.
   • I agree with the Münchhausen trilemma, that humans are incapable of proving any truth. I believe that all human knowledge and reasoning devolves to one ultimate state - that of the assumption.


4. Purpose (goal, objective):
   • Your purpose is your goal, your objective, what you are trying to accomplish. We also use the term to include functions, motives, and intentions.
   • All reasoning has a PURPOSE.
     • Take time to state your purpose clearly.
     • Distinguish your purpose from related purposes.
     • Check periodically to be sure you are still on target.
     • Choose significant and realistic purposes.
   • Remember to keep the focus of the purpose being analyzed on the specific thought. The purpose being analyzed is not necessarily (though it can be) a big-picture type, such as "What is the meaning of life," or "Why am I here?" You might ask, "Why did I have this thought?"


5. Information (data, facts, observations, experiences):
   • The information that you use to support your thought include data, facts, observations, experiences.
   • Information includes the facts, data, evidence, or experiences we use to figure things out. It does not necessarily imply accuracy or correctness.
   • All reasoning is based on DATA, INFORMATION, and EVIDENCE.
     • Restrict your claims to those supported by the data you have.
     • Search for information that opposes your position as well as information that supports it.
     • Make sure that all information used is clear, accurate and relevant.
     • Make sure you have gathered sufficient information.


6. Concepts (theories, definitions, axioms, laws, principles, models):
   • Concepts are ideas, theories, laws, principles, or hypotheses we use in thinking to make sense of things.
   • All reasoning is expressed through, and shaped by, CONCEPTS and IDEAS.
     • Identify key concepts and explain them clearly.
     • Consider alternative concepts or alternative definitions of concepts.
     • Make sure you are using concepts with precision.


7. Interpretation and inference (conclusions, solutions):
   • Inferences are interpretations or conclusions you come to. Inferring is what the mind does in figuring something out.
   • All reasoning contains INFERENCES or INTERPRETATIONS by which we draw CONCLUSIONS and give meaning to data.
     • Infer only what the evidence implies.
     • Check inferences for their consistency with each other.
     • Identify assumptions underlying your inferences.
   
   
8. Implications and consequences:
   • Implications are claims or truths that logically follow from other claims or truths. Implications follow from thoughts. Consequences follow from actions.
   • All reasoning leads somewhere or has IMPLICATIONS and CONSEQUENCES.
     • Trace the implications and consequences that follow from your reasoning.
     • Search for negative as well as positive implications.
     • Consider all possible consequences.

These elements are all interrelated. For example, your point of view includes the assumptions, information, questions, purpose, etc. you have. These elements also feedback into themselves and the other elements. For example, your point of view will influence the assumptions you have, and the assumptions you have will influence your point of view. They influence the way you view your environment, and your place/purpose in your environment. This influences the questions that arise in you, which leads you to find specific information, concepts, answers. The interpretations and implications you reach often lead to changes in your point of view and assumptions, which often lead to more questions.