A Method for Reading, Writing and Thinking Critically

The general point made by Kathleen McCormick in her work A Method for Reading, Writing, and Thinking Critically is that there are more than two sides to any story. More specifically, McCormick argues/suggests that there are two methods of developing better critical thinking skills to evaluate your own perspectives and the perspectives of others, which include historical analysis and cultural analysis. She writes, “Critical thinking involves discovering differences and connections across time, which is what occurs in historical analysis. It involves recognizing conflicts and continuities within the same time period, which occurs in cultural analysis. It is the capacity to explore the relationship of one perspective to other perspectives and to connect those perspectives to larger practices, systems of belief, and expectations, in the past and the present.” (page 22) In this passage, McCormick is suggesting that critical thinking helps us to have a more open mind and a broad view of a subject to find its relationship to the past and present. In conclusion, it is McCormick belief that as you do his you will develop better critical thinking skills and have deeper, finely tuned academic skills.

In my view, McCormick is right because it is important to understand where ideas come from. For example, you can look deeper into analyzing an art piece, different perspectives create appreciation and connections when you understand it more fully through culture and background. Although McCormick might object that all things have a right/wrong or black/white answer. I maintain that it is good to do what she suggests and to gain perspective by taking steps toward good analysis. Therefore, I conclude that the combining of historical and cultural analysis creates different ways of looking at issues, helps us see where things connect, how they are different and how to gain more perspectives.

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