再谈逻辑和批判性思维的关系

On Relationships between Logic and Critical Thinking

全面理解逻辑和批判性思维的关系,对真正的思维教育十分重要。“逻辑”一词有不同的指称和用法。逻辑1、逻辑2和逻辑3是静态表达和评估部分推理的形式化工具,它们和批判性思维有一定关系,但不能等同。批判性思维的逻辑性是逻辑4,指的是杜威意义上的实际的反思性思维所具有的谨慎、仔细、全面,合理、有序等特性。逻辑4中研究论证的非形式逻辑是批判性思维的主要理论和技术基础之一。不过,批判性思维还包含论证之外的其他思维技能和精神习性。所以,传统的(形式)逻辑课程有其自身学科价值且应该开设,但思维素质培养的重心应体现在全面培育开放理性和探究实证能力的批判性思维教育上。

A good understanding of relationships between logic and critical thinking is important to education of thinking skills.This paper begins by clarification of meanings of"logic"into four types."Logic1"refers to the most restrictive sense of the term: traditional and modern deductively formal logic (the sentential and predicate logic)."Logic2"is the formal logic expanded to include induction."Logic3"covers those extended logical studies in formal approach such as modal logic."Logic4 is a wider sense of the term,consistent with John Dewey's "logic of practical and vital thinking",namely his reflective thinking (critical thinking),referring to such characteristics of thinking as wide-awake、 thorough,careful,orderly and so on.We argue,following Dewey,that critical thinking is mostly and closely related tologic4,largely represented by informal logic,the studies of argumentation,instead of Logic 1,2 or 3.Still,critical thinking goes beyond informal logic as it includes critical spirit,inquiry,creativity and other thinking stills outside argumentation.We agree that the formal logic education has its own value,however,nurturing of independent and creative thinkers must be on the shoulder of the critical thinking education.