Critical Analysis

Critical analysis is a crucial element to understanding not only our own beliefs, but also to forming solid foundations of thinking. As Lee Frazer quotes from John Dewey,

"For any theory or set of practices is dogmatic which is not based upon critical examination of its own underlying principles." (From Experience and Education, 1938, p.22)

Since we are not dogmatic people, we must always seek new information, and must always question our understanding of even basic ideas of right and wrong. To do this, we conduct critical analyses.

So what is critical analysis? It's a process, or tool, used to help uncover discrepancies and inconsistencies between our beliefs and our practices. To do this, we conduct a series of steps. The nature of these steps is often debated, but their basic process, in basic terms, goes something like this:

1. Identify an assertion or philosophical statement or belief that you are interested in. For example, "Adventure experiences gently force students to adapt, teaching them new skills and improving self esteem."
2. Draw out the implicit and explicit assumptions from that assertion or statement. Explicit assumptions are those made outright, without ambiguity (in the above example, an explicit assumption would be that 'adventure experiences force students to adapt'). Implicit assumptions are assumptions made without stating them directly (in the above example, an implicit assumption would be that forcing students to adapt will lead to positive benefits).
3. Ask questions about these assumptions you've found. Are there any discrepancies between known facts or theories? Are there differences in what you believe versus what the assumptions say? For example, perhaps you believe that self esteem isn't motivated by adventures, but instead by the group efforts therein.
4. Finally, bring together what you have discovered to make statements about real world applications. The questions you've asked may not have easy answers, so look for them. Even if they can't be answered yet, that means the assumptions that your questions are based on must have flaws, and therefore can't be trusted until new information is revealed.

Now imagine what your philosophies would be like without critical analysis. You'd probably continue to perpetuate wrong ideas, broken theories, and ethically questionable activities. Of course, this is all a process, and the goal is not to have perfect practices, since there is no such thing. The goal of this is to understand why you believe what you believe, and how to best use that information to the benefit of your students, your education, and your experiences.