Preface

The present book is meant to function as a course text or self-contained study guide in critical and creative thinking. They cannot be discussed separately because they are not independent of each other, but are parts of the same essential toolkit.

The theories of good reasoning will be discussed, but alone they are insufficient, but thinking itself is practical and must be put to use. Logic, philosophy, and psychology yield practical skills to gain understanding and make decisions.

Decision-making is of primary importance: the way we think affects the choices we make, which in term shape out lives. The choices depend in part on our values and moral outlook, which are themselves the product of thinking (EN: or its abdication, I might add).

The author's aim is not to provide an encyclopedia, but a practical guide that should provide the reader with a sound foundation. Its content can be explored in greater depth by readers who are interested in doing so. There is some concern that brevity may oversimplify

The book also includes many examples from finance and business - it is not meant to be a business book, but the workplace is the setting where greatest interest is shown in critical thinking, and people most often seek to apply thinking skills in a vocational context.