Teaching Critical Thinking (Philosophy of Education Research Library)

The idea that students can be taught a set of skills which will enable them to tackle any intellectual problem with confidence and success is an increasingly popular one, but little work has been done on its theoretical foundations. In this volume, John McPeck casts doubt on the whole idea that it is possible to teach "thinking skills" in isolation from particular subjects. He then invites three leading figures from the mainstream of the critical thinking movement: Stephen Norris, Harvey Siegel and Richard Paul, to attack his position and defend their own. In the lively exchange which follows the specific arguments of each author are engaged on a point by point basis, so that readers can follow the debate for themselves and draw their own conclusions.