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1. The Resources of Critique Paul Reynolds Reader in Sociology and Social Philosophy MRes Lead, Social Sciences edgehill.ac.uk

2. A Working Definition of Critical Thinking? • Critical thinking is that mode of thinking — about any subject, content, or problem — in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully analyzing, assessing, and reconstructing it. Critical thinking is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. It presupposes assent to rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use. It entails effective communication and problem-solving abilities, as well as a commitment to overcome our native egocentrism and sociocentrism. • http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/our-concept-of-critical-thinking/411 edgehill.ac.uk

3. What does it mean to be engage in critique? • Moving from description or the generation of knowledge or data to doing something with it – • analysing, assessing, evaluating, • identifying strengths and weaknesses, • identifying gaps in and new claims to knowledge, • identifying significance, showing relevance and/or importance, suitability and fitness for purpose • exercising judgement and drawing (provisional) conclusions • Acknowledging and engaging with alternatives edgehill.ac.uk

4. What do critical thinkers do? • Reflect on their skills at searching resources and judging the credibility of resources • question and test what they read and do • Identify connections – comparators and contrasts, resonances and dissonances, similarities and differences – both surface and deep, recognised and novel • Make, deconstruct and reconstruct arguments, employing perspectives and claims that are both congruent and critical of their own – making new and novel arguments • challenging received wisdoms – orthodoxies - convention • being reflective – honest and transparent – developing your practice – accepting contestation • Parrhesia, arete, phronesis edgehill.ac.uk

5. In small groups, consider these questions: • Is your work context/conjuncture sensitive? • Do you recognise/understand the traditions/orthodoxies it sits within and the criticisms of alternatives? • Do you recognise similar/associative and contesting ideas/interpretations? • Is your argument clear, coherent, structurally consistent and transparent? • How comprehensive or selective is your interpretation? • How clear is your analysis, evaluation, exlantion and judgement  • How reflexive are you of your scope and limitations/ strengths and weaknesses? • Have you passed the Greek tests?! edgehill.ac.uk

6. Criticality- Reflections • The importance of balance – do not be always uncritical and conformist but do not fetishise criticality • Not every feature of a research engagement or criticality can be covered by every researcher – reconceiving researching as a collective enterprise • The poasitivity of criticality • An aid to research – using this lecture as a checklist • The arena of discomfort and doubt • Taking your work home – or the creeping habit of criticality and critical reflection • The unfinished nature of an unexamined life • Beware Greeks bearing gifts……………….(esp. horses) edgehill.ac.uk