What is Critical Thinking?

I believe the process of thinking critically entails a few specific skills that compliment each other. The first skill or part of the critical thinking process is to fully understand the question or issue at hand. This requires the thinker to define unknown concepts. This step also demands an understanding of the context of whatever is being evaluated and a knowledge of why it is being evaluated. This skill leads right into the second, in which a person must come to know all information relevant to whatever is being thought about. This step is important as it can help lead to an objective view on the subject. If the person is taking all information into account before creating an individual opinion, he can see the subject in an initially objective way. Another skill required in the process is to find out information about the information about the subject. This is crucial because finding background to what something is can lead a person to discover why something is the way it is. People frequently add an additional step in the process-forming an individual opinion. I find this unnecessary in the process. Thinking critically about something does not require the formation of an opinion, although critical thinking does help in creating a well-formed view.