January 24, continued

The Problem Is the Thing
The key to critical thinking is finding a problem. After all, critical thinking is really about problem-solving. Think of it this way, if critical thinking is a kind of mental acrobatic--processes for thoughts with weight and motion--then the problem is the thing that you "wrap yer head around."

As you read each essay, you want to be thinking about problems. But "problem" is a tricky word, so let me clarify. The first think you want to consider is this: "what problem is the author thinking about?". Each of these essays, in some ways, is addressing a problem that confronts us all (in some way) today. Then you want to ask yourself "what solution is the author finding to this problem?". That helps you identify the author's process of critical thinking. Once you have that, then you can start interjecting yourself into this equation by thinking about the problems you see with the author's solution, or perhaps thinking about other problems that the author's solution could help solve.

Let's Make This Concrete
OK, all that talk about problems and solutions and problems with solutions and maybe even solutions to the problems with solutions left you, undoubtedly, a little confused, so let's apply this to the discussion we've had so far in the forum.

There are a couple of problems Pollan seems concerned with if we look at we've said. To be sure, he's concerned with the problem of biotechology. Specifically, the problem seem to be how little we know about these potatoes. As kristi2 put it, "Maybe a greater issue at stake is the uncertain longterm implications behind the techology? The knowledge isn't established therefore the eagerness of the industry to continue despite the ignorance of the public and even the scientists causes a great problem."

And what about Pollan's solution to this problem? There will be a thread about this due Tuesday's class (don't worry, everything you need to do will be at the end of this lesson).

The Chain of Problems
As we think about problems and solutions, as we (in other words) start to practice our critical thinking, it might help think about a chain of problems. You see, none of the problems we'll think about in this class--not ONE of them--has a simple solution. That's how life is, really. There are no simply solutions. So, rather than finding a problem and then thinking of a solution, we want to think about the chain of problems: how one problems suggests a solution which has its own problems which may have solutions which may have their own problems.

In order to reconstruct this chain of problems for Pollan, we'll need to step back and consider what Monsanto has to say.

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