Critical Thinking Critical

by Kristy Symonds

May 5, 2008

A Murdoch University lecturer is pushing to have a philosophy subject included in all the uni’s courses.

“The problem is also that students don’t consider philosophy,” says philosophy lecturer Lubica Ucnik. “They need to be aware of the relevance and what they can use it for.”

“Philosophy has been studied for over 2000 years so surely it has some resources necessary for student education”

Dr Ucnik believes a compulsory ‘Critical and Creative Thinking’ unit would teach students vital skills such as essay writing, argument structure and the use of reasoning to make a position clear.

“Students perform much better in other disciplines when the take philosophy because they become critically and independently minded,” she says. “That is why it has been introduced to high school education now, because they see its importance.”

Critical thinking is now being recognised in every aspect of employment as most employers express the growing need for such attributes, Dr Ucnik says. And employment and education aside, Dr Ucnik believes philosophy is important because it addresses questions humans have been asking since the dawn of time.

“We have a crisis everywhere – global warming, politics - and young people are starting to question the knowledge of the previous generation,” she says. “There is no security.

“Everything is changing with technology and they need to hold onto an alternative form of thinking.”

However, she says students will either love or hate philosophy, and there is no room for middle ground.

“Some love it because it challenges your way of thinking and shows there is more to everyday life,” she says. “But it gives no final answers, only approaches, and some hate it and hold onto certainty.”

Interestingly, Dr Ucnik believes philosophy is particularly important to the study and practise of journalism. She says without critical capacity, it is impossible to become a good journalist.

“With a worldwide influx of information, a journalist needs to process all this in a critical way or they cannot do justice to it,” she says.

Johan Lidberg, a journalism lecturer at Murdoch uni agrees.

“Journalism is critical activity,” he says. “You could even argue that journalism is a practical manifestation of philosophy.”