3/26/2016

ContentIsThinking,ThinkingisContent

ContentIsThinking,ThinkingisContent
AFoundationforTheLogicofTeaching
RichardPaulandLindaElder
March22,1999

Thefirstandmostimportantinsightnecessaryfortheappropriatedesignofinstructionandcurriculumisthat
contentis,inthelastanalysis,nothingmorenorlessthanamodeofthinking.Letmeexplain.

Therearemanywaystobegintograsptheprofoundtruththatallcontentisnothingmorenorlessthanamode
ofthinking(aboutsomething),awayoffiguringsomethingout,awayofunderstandingsomethingthrough
thought.Herearejustthreewaysofbeginningtograspthistruth:

1)All"content"inschooliscontentinasubject.Allsubjectsareareasofstudy.Allareasofstudyare"things"
thatweareinterestedin"figuringout".Allfieldsofstudyhavebeenadvancedinsofaraswehavediscovered
waystofigureoutwhateverisbeingstudied.Thereisnowaytofigureoutsomethingwithoutthinking.Thereis
nowaytolearnhowtofiguresomethingoutwithoutlearninghowtothinkitthrough.Thereisnowaytolearn
mathematicalcontentwithoutlearninghowtofigureoutcorrectanswerstomathematicalquestionsand
problems.Thereisnowaytolearnhistoricalcontentwithoutlearninghowtofigureoutcorrectorreasonable
answerstohistoricalquestionsandproblems.Thereisnowaytolearnbiologicalcontentwithoutlearninghowto
figureoutanswerstobiologicalquestionsandproblems.Anysubjector"contentarea"canthereforebe
understoodasamodeoffiguringoutcorrectorreasonableanswerstoacertainbodyofquestions.Westudy
chemistrytofigureoutchemicals(toanswerquestionsaboutchemicals).Westudypsychologytofigureout
people(toanswerquestionsaboutcertainhumanproblems).Allsubjectscanbeunderstoodbestinthisway.

2)All"content"involvesconcepts.Thereisnowaytolearnabodyofcontentwithoutlearningtheconceptswhich
defineandstructureit.Thereisnowaytolearnaconceptwithoutlearninghowtouseitinthinkingsomething
through.Hence,tolearntheconceptofdemocracyistolearnhowtofigureoutwhethersomegroupis
functioningdemocraticallyornot.Tolearntheconceptoffairplayistolearnhowtofigureoutwhethersomeone
isbeingfairinthemannerinwhichtheyareparticipatinginagame.Tolearntheconceptofanovelistolearn
howtodistinguishanovelfromaplayorshortstory.Tolearntheconceptofafamilyistolearnhowtodistinguish
afamilyfromagangorclub.Tolearnanybodyofcontent,therefore,itisnecessarytolearntothinkaccurately
andreasonablywiththeconceptsthatdefinethecontent.

3)All"content"islogicallyinterdependent.Tounderstandonepartofsomecontentrequiresthatwefigureoutits
relationtootherpartsofthatcontent.

Forexample,weunderstandwhatascientificexperimentisonlywhenweunderstandwhatascientifictheoryis.
Weunderstandwhatascientifictheoryisonlywhenweunderstandwhatascientifichypothesisis.We
understandwhatascientifichypothesisisonlywhenweunderstandwhatascientificpredictionis.We
understandwhatascientificpredictionisonlywhenweunderstandwhatitistoscientificallytestaview.We
understandwhatitistoscientificallytestaviewonlywhenweunderstandwhatascientificexperimentis.
Etc....etc.....etc....Tolearnanybodyofcontent,therefore,istofigureout(i.e.,reasonorthinkthrough)the
connectionsbetweenthepartsofthatcontent.Thereisnolearningofthecontentwithoutthisthinkingprocess.

Tothispointthemajorityofteachersandstudentsapproachcontent,notasamodeofthinking,notasasystem
forthought,orevenasasystemofthought,butratherasasequenceofstufftoberoutinely"covered"and
committedtomemory.Whencontentisapproachedinthislowerorderway,thereisnobasisforintellectual
growth,nodeepstructuresofknowledgeformed,nobasisforlongtermgraspandcontrol.
ContentIsThinking,ThinkingisContent
Sublinks:

ContentIsThinking,ThinkingisContent
CriticalThinkinginEveryDomainofKnowledgeandBelief
UsingIntellectualStandardstoAssessStudentReasoning
Openmindedinquiry
ValuableIntellectualTraits
UniversalIntellectualStandards
ThinkingWithConcepts
http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/contentisthinkingthinkingiscontent/958

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ContentIsThinking,ThinkingisContent

TheRoleofQuestionsinTeaching,ThinkingandLearning
TheAnalysis&AssessmentofThinking
GlossaryofCriticalThinkingTerms
DistinguishingBetweenInertInformation,ActivatedIgnorance,ActivatedKnowledge
CriticalThinking:IdentifyingtheTargets
DistinguishingBetweenInferencesandAssumptions
CriticalThinkingDevelopment:AStageTheory
BecomingaCriticOfYourThinking
BertrandRussellonCriticalThinking

http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/contentisthinkingthinkingiscontent/958

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