Why are most liberals non-critical thinkers?

Question

it seems that liberalism incourages non-critical thought. There are a certainly a few rigorously thinking leftists like the law professor Alan dershowitz (who i agree with on virtually nothing) but as a whole liberalism appears very non-critical. it assumes that it's perspective is common sense and so it dosen't qustion it. One of the most interesting things about this mentality is that it defines "openmindedness" as agreeing with a particular set of preset positions. if you take those postions then you are open minded if not then you are closeminded and your view is unaaceptable. Dosen't that turn the meaning of "open-minded" on it's head? How can I say that you are open minded only if you agree with me? is that not "closemindedness" ? You don't define someone's openmindedness by what they believe but by how they have come to their belief. This kind of thinking incourages people to be unintelligent and unrigorous thinkers. We see it in universities all over the country.

The problem is that this is done by liberals even on the academic level. Whereas conservatives may simply be irrational in civil contexts in the same way as liberals.

Answer 1

They do know how to criticize. They are not taught critical thinking because tenured "professors" can not teach what is not in a book or what they do not know.

Answer 2

Conservatives are traditionalists like the status quo, but Libreals tend to think the goverment is solution to problems. The conservatives belive in traditional values, and tend to think the goverment is the problem. The Truth to solution lies in between the poles on most issuses. Consensus is the way to move the country, not divison or partisn all the time. In realty both sides at times have great problem solvers to complex problems. The key is understanding where the other person viewpoint is coming from, and stating your acknowlegde of that viewpoint, but politcal system in America is winner take all which means as it implies the winner gets the spoils till the next election. The founding fathers set up the system for gridlock because solutions to problem is not simple algebraic thinking all the time.

Answer 3

Conservatives oftentimes have a hard time with the concept of openmindedness for some reason.

Open mindedness does not mean "agreeing with a particular set of preset position". In fact that is the opposite of open mindedness.

Open mindedness means hearing positions, including those different from the ones you hold, in a way that doesn't automatically judge them to be wrong or worthless.

For example, you would be considered openminded if you genuinely entertained the idea that liberals are intelligent.

Good luck to you.

Answer 4

... so... the conservatives are "critical thinkers"?

frankly... this is the truth... so listen up...

NO ONE IS A CRITICAL THINKER... for the most part...

and liberals, compared to most conservatives... actually appear to be critical thinkers... relatively

I mean... I hear what you're saying... but the conservatives aren't even bothering to be open minded in the first place... and that's not because they are "critical thinkers"... it's because they think how things have always been are right...

CONSERVATIVE... means upholding the old ideas... and by definition is closed minded and non-critical...

most scientists are liberals... and they often do employ critical thinking skills more than most...

Answer 5

Wow. Does a pot calling the kettle black sound familiar?

Bush claims connection between Iraq and 9/11 to start a war. After war is started Bush admits on national TV no evidence connecting Iraq to 9/11. ... YET neo-cons still believe connection exists totally contradicting the second story from Bush.

Which is it? Is there a connection or not? Either way, Bush lied either the first time OR the second time.

How's that for critical-thinking?

Answer 6

Critical thinking is a dominant characteristic of the Democratic party and one of the reason I support them as I do.

The Republican party, on the other hand, is driven primarily by knee-jerk emotional responses, and you can see that plainly enough in the waves of propaganda coming out of the Bush administration. The Bush administration doesn't appeal to critical thought, they appeal to fear, greed and intolerance.

And they do that because it works. Republicans, generally, aren't thinkers, they're reactionaries.

Answer 7

Haha. Projection much?

So, when Conservatives go with what their Bibles or Pat Robertson tells them, is THAT critical thinking?

And we see it in legal debates all the time, and not just the civil discourse.

Case 1

Liberal: "Why is gay marriage bad?"

Conservative: "Because the bible says gay people are sinners."

Case 2

Conservative: "Evolution is false because the bible says that the Earth was created by an intelligent designer."

Case 3

Conservative: "Honestly, I think we should just trust our president in every decision he makes and should just support that, you know, and be faithful in what happens."

Case 4

The Iraq War - Go ahead and say this one was critically thought through, it wasn't.

If you think the statements above are examples of critical thinking, then you do not know what critical thinking is.

Answer 8

A quote from John Stuart Mill:

"While it is not true that all conservatives are stupid people,
it is true that most stupid people are conservative."

So, just because he said it, does that make it true?
So, just because you said what you did, does that make it true?

Answer 9

because non-critical is dull and lackluster like most democrats

Answer 10

Why are most Republicans non thinkers?