Reply #22: Required college English is called Critical Thinking

[lunatica]

And the curriculum is based mostly on essays and opinion pieces from all sides of the political spectrum. If nothing else you learn to think for yourself because there is no right answer on a test. You must actually argue your own conclusions. You get graded on the content and strength of your argument, your references, etc. You get to have your own opinion and you back it up.

So naturally people actually learn to state their opinions in rational and logical ways that show their own thinking.

Most high schools want students to regurgitate facts they are forced to learn.

But to add to the intelligence and education of people there has to be a constant love of learning and love of being current which entails an interest in people and places and events. Most of the time liberals talk about others and how their affected by laws, politics, etc. Conservatives like Hannity or Limbaugh only talk about their own views about everything. They project their thinking on to their followers. They don't care what their fans think about things. They tell them what to say and think. Thus the beauty of talking points and sound bites. No thinking required.

On the other hand, for liberals it's not so easy because we think in concepts that are layered and we connect dots. Sound bites just don't cut it because they're too limiting and don't truly encompass the complexities. But you find that not in education as much as in people themselves.