Eric D. Dixon
PHI 105
February 17,2013

Critical thinking can be defined as the process an individual takes that includes thinking in a logical and sensible manner in order to make a rational decision. Critical thinking also requires an individual to think past their normal capacity or “outside of the box” while improving the quality of thought. “The thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully taking charge of the structures inherent in thinking and imposing intellectual standards upon them”( Paul & Elder, 2008). This way of thinking serves two purposes for an individual, it helps in the decision making process as well as improves the quality and depth of an individual's thoughts. In order for an individual to come to a conclusion the process of critical thinking must be used in order to sure that the decision being made is the most rational as well as sensible. While doing this the individual is also adopting a new improved way of thinking which can prove to be beneficial in the long run improving the thought quality. “A critical thinker uses broad in-depth analysis of evidence to make decisions and communicate his/her beliefs clearly and accurately”( 2005). It is vital that an individual is able to communicate clearly and accurately in order to ensure their thoughts are being understood. For this reason critical thinking plays a huge part in effective