Introduction
15
from the traditional expression “critical thinking,” which was felt to be inad-
equate to convey the educational potential that lies to hand. The term “critical-
ity” attempts to inject a perspective that widens critical thinking to incorporate
not only argument and judgment and reflection but also the individual’s wider
identity and participation in the world. This is a concept of critical thinking
involving students reflecting on their knowledge and simultaneously develop-
ing powers of critical thinking, critical self-reflection, and critical action—and
thereby developing (as a result) critical
being
(Barnett 1997; 2004; Johnston,
Ford, Mitchell, and Myles 2011). Now, criticality, not unlike critical thinking,
appears, in some quarters, to be gaining its own scholarly industry.
What is “criticality”?
Broadly speaking, criticality comprises—and is a composite of—three things:
thinking, being,
and
acting
. In emphasizing action in addition to thinking (in
the form of argumentation and reflective judgment), criticality might be con-
ceived of in relation to established definitions of critical thinking as
trait
. That
is, while a critical thinker can be disposed to think critically, criticality points to
the way a person is in the world. A critical person exhibits a critical orientation
Critical rationality
(argumentation/skills)
Individual axis of criticality (“inner” focus)
Critical THINKING
The critical thinking movement
Socio-cultural axis of criticality (“outer” focus)
Critical character
(personality/abilities/dispositions)
Figure 0.1
Axis diagram: The critical thinking movement.
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