Question

Explain why a critical thinker should be intellectually persevering.

a) To avoid errors in judgment.
b) To maintain a single perspective.
c) To quickly reach conclusions.
d) To rely on intuition more than logic.

Answer 1

Intellectual perseverance in critical thinking helps to avoid errors in judgment by combating cognitive biases and employing reflective thinking to carefully analyze facts and evidence.

Step-by-step explanation:

A critical thinker should be intellectually persevering to avoid errors in judgment. This perseverance is essential because our minds are prone to cognitive biases and mental shortcuts, which can easily lead to mistakes. By being intellectually persevering, a thinker engages in effortful, reflective thinking that goes beyond quick, intuitive reactions. Through critical reflection and metacognition, one actively fights the natural tendencies of the brain to err. It involves critical examination of one's own beliefs and assumptions and an analytical approach that assesses the facts and evidence using logic. Therefore, persevering in thought is not about maintaining a single perspective, quickly reaching conclusions, or relying more on intuition than on logic. Rather, it's about the ongoing effort to ensure that one's judgments are as free from error as possible.