what is critical thinking?

Answer 1

Summary

Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness.

From: criticalthinking.org

Critical thinking consists of mental processes of discernment, analysis and evaluation. It includes all possible processes of reflecting upon a tangible or intangible item in order to form a solid judgment that reconciles scientific evidence with common sense. In contemporary usage "critical" has a certain negative connotation that does not apply in the present case; the term "analytical thinking" may more accurately convey the idea.

Critical thinkers gather information from all senses, verbal and/or written expressions, reflection, observation, experience and reasoning. Critical thinking has its basis in intellectual criteria that go beyond subject-matter divisions and which include: clarity, credibility, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth, logic, significance and fairness.

From: Wikipedia

Google for critical thinking and visit criticalthinking.org and the Wikipedia site for it, and of course other sites, and get the big picture of what it is. It's actually not something that can be easily explained with a couple of ideas or a few words.

Answer 2

Critical thinking is questioning what you are told instead of taking it at face value.

Answer 3

Try:
http://lonestar.texas.net/~mseifert/crit2.html
or
http://www.criticalthinking.org/aboutCT/definingCT.cfm