Critical Thinking: Not About Arguing, but About Managing Meaning (1)

In their public explanations following the special case review conducted by the Jakarta Metropolitan Police, Dr Roy Suryo and Dr Tifa stated that their doubts regarding the authenticity of former Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s academic certificate had not been resolved by the proceedings. According to them, the core issue was not merely whether a document was presented, but whether it could be examined in a manner consistent with principles of verification and transparency.

They explained that during the session, the certificate was shown to certain parties but could not be physically handled, closely inspected, or independently analysed by those who raised the questions. From their perspective, this limitation prevented a proper assessment of material features that would normally be examined in determining authenticity, such as physical characteristics, printing techniques, or other forensic indicators. As a result, they argued that the process did not meet what they considered to be a reasonable standard of evidential scrutiny.

Both figures also emphasised that their position was not intended as a personal attack, but as an expression of scepticism towards a procedure they regarded as incomplete. They framed their stance as a matter of critical inquiry, asserting that trust in official conclusions should be grounded in verifiable processes rather than in institutional authority alone. In this context, they maintained that the outcome of the case review failed to eliminate doubt because the opportunity for independent verification was absent.

Critical thinking is the capacity to evaluate information, ideas, or events consciously, rationally, and responsibly, rather than accepting them at face value. It requires an individual to question, to examine reasons, to weigh evidence, and to recognise the presence of bias—whether originating from external sources or from within oneself.

In critical thinking, one does not stop at what is being said, but proceeds further to consider why it is being said, who stands to benefit from it, what assumptions lie beneath it, and what consequences may follow if it is accepted or rejected. In other words, critical thinking is an effort to seek the most reasonable form of truth, not merely the most comfortable one.

Critical thinking is also not synonymous with cynicism or a habit of constant opposition. On the contrary, it demands intellectual humility: a readiness to acknowledge that one’s own views may be mistaken, and that new evidence can alter previous conclusions. A critical thinker is not hostile towards authority, yet neither does he or she accept it uncritically; authority is tested through arguments and evidence, not revered or dismissed on emotional grounds.

In everyday life, critical thinking becomes evident when a person is not easily swayed by misinformation, does not automatically believe political jargon, advertising claims, or religious quotations taken out of context, and can distinguish between facts, opinions, and emotional manipulation. Such a person asks: is this actually true, or does it merely feel true?

Critical thinking is a discipline of the mind— a conscious effort to keep one’s reasoning clear amid floods of information, competing interests, and persuasive rhetoric. Without it, people are easily led; with it, they retain the possibility of intellectual independence.

In Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Learning and Your Life, Richard Paul and Linda Elder (2013, Pearson) present critical thinking as a disciplined, self-aware, and self-improving way of thinking that is aimed at making thinking better. They explain that critical thinking is fundamentally “the art of thinking about thinking while thinking in order to improve it,” which involves three interwoven phases: analysing one’s thinking, evaluating it for strengths and weaknesses, and then improving it by building on strengths while reducing weaknesses. This definition emphasises that critical thinkers must be willing to examine, identify, and reconstruct their own thinking, recognising where it is unclear, biased, or illogical, and then apply intellectual standards and virtues such as clarity, accuracy, fairness, and open-mindedness to raise its quality. In essence, critical thinking is presented not just as a set of skills but as an ongoing and active process of reflection and self-correction that enables learners to take charge of their learning and life. 

Human beings do not naturally think well, and that good thinking must therefore be intentionally learned, practised, and disciplined. Paul and Elder argue that much of everyday thinking is unconsciously shaped by egocentrism, sociocentrism, assumptions, and emotional reactions, which leads people to believe they are rational while, in fact, thinking poorly.

The book emphasises that taking charge of one’s learning and life requires taking responsibility for one’s own thinking. The authors insist that no amount of information, intelligence, or formal education guarantees sound judgment unless individuals actively examine how they reason, what assumptions they make, and what standards they use to judge truth and relevance. Critical thinking, in this sense, is portrayed as a moral and intellectual responsibility rather than a purely academic skill.

Another key message is that thinking can be systematically improved by applying universal intellectual standards, such as clarity, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth, and fairness, to all reasoning. Paul and Elder stress that critical thinking is not about being sceptical of others alone, but about rigorously questioning one’s own beliefs, inferences, and conclusions. Without this self-scrutiny, people easily fall into intellectual complacency and dogmatism.

The book conveys that critical thinking is essential for a meaningful, autonomous, and ethical life. By learning to think critically, individuals gain greater control over their decisions, values, and actions, rather than being passively shaped by authority, tradition, media, or social pressure. In this way, critical thinking becomes a lifelong practice that empowers individuals to live more reflective, responsible, and purposeful lives.

In the Indonesian context, the message of Paul and Elder’s Critical Thinking is especially relevant because public life is still deeply shaped by authority, hierarchy, and emotional narratives rather than careful reasoning. Many opinions are accepted not because they are well argued, but because they come from figures with power, status, religious influence, or media visibility. This condition reflects precisely what the authors warn against: the tendency to substitute authority for reasoning.

In education, critical thinking is often reduced to memorisation and examination performance, while students are rarely trained to question assumptions, analyse arguments, or evaluate evidence independently. As a result, learning becomes an act of obedience rather than understanding. Paul and Elder’s insistence that individuals must take charge of their own thinking challenges this model directly, calling for learners who are intellectually responsible rather than merely compliant.

In politics and public discourse, the lack of critical thinking appears in the rapid spread of slogans, populist promises, and emotionally charged narratives that discourage reflection. Complex social problems are simplified into catchy phrases, and citizens are encouraged to choose sides rather than examine facts. The book’s emphasis on intellectual standards such as clarity, accuracy, and fairness offers a powerful antidote to this culture of oversimplification.

Religious life in Indonesia also reveals the importance of Paul and Elder’s message. Faith is sometimes treated as the suspension of questioning rather than a disciplined effort to understand, reflect, and act ethically. However, critical thinking, as described in the book, does not undermine faith; instead, it protects belief from blind imitation and misuse by authority figures. By encouraging self-examination, critical thinking strengthens sincerity and moral accountability.

Islam explicitly and consistently encourages critical thinking, reflection, and intellectual responsibility. The Qur’an repeatedly calls upon human beings to think, reflect, reason, and examine, using expressions such as afalā ta‘qilūn (do you not use reason), afalā tatafakkarūn (do you not reflect), and afalā yatadabbarūn (do you not contemplate deeply). These commands indicate that faith in Islam is not meant to be blind submission, but a conscious and reasoned commitment.

Islamic belief does not demand the suspension of reason; rather, it demands that reason be used within a disciplined moral and epistemic framework. The Qur’an frequently criticises those who follow tradition, authority, or the majority without evidence, portraying such behaviour as intellectual negligence rather than piety. In this sense, Islam aligns closely with the core principle of critical thinking articulated by Paul and Elder: that claims must be evaluated based on evidence and reasoning, not on who makes them.

Classical Islamic scholarship further reinforces this critical ethos. The sciences of usūl al-fiqh, ‘ilm al-ḥadīth, and kalām are built upon rigorous methods of analysis, verification, classification, and critique. Scholars did not accept reports, legal opinions, or theological claims merely because of authority, but examined chains of transmission, logical coherence, context, and consistency with foundational principles. This demonstrates that critical thinking is not a modern Western import but an integral part of the Islamic intellectual tradition.

However, Islam also sets clear boundaries for critical thinking. Reason is honoured, but it is not absolutised. Revelation functions as a guiding criterion that orients reasoning, prevents arrogance, and restrains egocentrism. Within this balance, critical thinking in Islam aims not at endless scepticism, but at truth, justice, and moral accountability. Therefore, Islam does not oppose critical thinking; rather, it elevates it, disciplines it, and directs it toward ethical ends.

Richard Paul and Linda Elder define critical thinking as a disciplined process of analysing, evaluating, and improving one’s thinking by applying intellectual standards and cultivating intellectual virtues. Their framework assumes that human thinking is naturally flawed, prone to bias, egocentrism, and unexamined assumptions, and therefore requires continuous self-monitoring and correction. Reason, in their model, is the primary tool through which truth claims are assessed and intellectual responsibility is exercised.

In Islamic epistemology, ‘aql (reason) occupies a similarly central role, but it does not stand alone. Reason is recognised as a God-given faculty entrusted with understanding signs, drawing inferences, and distinguishing truth from falsehood. Like Paul and Elder’s view, Islam acknowledges that human reasoning can be distorted by desire, pride, and social influence. However, Islamic thought frames these distortions not merely as cognitive errors, but as moral and spiritual conditions that affect how reason operates.

The most fundamental difference lies in the role of wahy (revelation). In Paul and Elder’s framework, there is no ultimate external criterion that transcends human reasoning; intellectual standards are justified through rational reflection and consensus. In Islam, revelation functions as an epistemic anchor that orients reason, sets boundaries for speculation, and provides certainty where human reasoning alone is limited or vulnerable to excess. Wahy does not negate critical thinking; rather, it disciplines it by preventing reason from becoming self-referential and absolute.

The concept of qalb (the heart) introduces another dimension absent from the Paul–Elder model. In Islamic epistemology, the qalb is not merely the seat of emotion, but a moral–spiritual centre that influences perception, intention, and judgement. A corrupted heart can blind reason, while a sound heart enables clarity and sincerity in understanding. By contrast, Paul and Elder focus primarily on intellectual virtues, such as fairness and open-mindedness, without grounding them in a spiritual anthropology.

Despite these differences, there is a significant convergence between the two frameworks. Paul and Elder’s emphasis on self-examination, intellectual humility, and resistance to blind authority closely parallels Islamic calls for muhāsabah (self-accountability), rejection of taqlīd a‘mā (blind imitation), and commitment to justice in judgement. Both traditions insist that truth is not guaranteed by status, tradition, or majority opinion, but must be actively sought and responsibly maintained.

Paul and Elder present critical thinking as a secular discipline aimed at improving reasoning and autonomy, while Islam presents thinking as a moral–spiritual act accountable to God. Where Paul and Elder ask how thinking can be made better, Islam asks both how thinking can be made true and how the thinker can be made upright. Rather than being incompatible, these approaches can be seen as complementary, provided that reason is neither idolised nor neglected.

The book’s message speaks to Indonesia’s broader democratic challenge. A society cannot be genuinely democratic if its citizens do not critically examine information, responsibly question power, and reflect on their own biases. Paul and Elder remind readers that freedom without critical thinking easily turns into manipulation, while critical thinking transforms freedom into responsibility.

In critical thinking, statements made by authorities cannot be accepted at face value because truth does not reside in who is speaking, but in the reasons, evidence, and coherence of what is being said. Authorities may indeed possess expertise, experience, or official positions, yet these factors do not automatically guarantee that every statement they make is accurate, complete, or free from vested interests.

One fundamental reason for this is that authorities remain human. They can make mistakes, hold biases, be constrained by political, economic, or institutional interests, or remain attached to outdated paradigms that have not yet been revised in light of new evidence. The history of science and public policy repeatedly demonstrates that many claims once regarded as true solely because they were voiced by authorities were later shown to be incorrect or in need of substantial revision.

In the context of critical thinking, the term authority does not refer exclusively to political rulers or government officials, although they may form part of it. Authority is a broader epistemic concept that refers to any individual, institution, or system whose statements are commonly accepted as credible, legitimate, or binding without immediate verification.

Authority can take several forms. It may be political authority, such as presidents, ministers, or state institutions, whose power derives from legal mandate and control over public administration. It may also be institutional authority, including universities, courts, professional bodies, or law enforcement agencies, whose credibility rests on formal procedures, expertise, and recognised standards. In addition, authority can be epistemic or intellectual, embodied by academics, scientists, experts, or public intellectuals whose opinions are trusted because of their qualifications, experience, or reputation.

Furthermore, authority may be social or cultural in nature. Religious leaders, community elders, media figures, or influential organisations can function as authorities because they shape beliefs, norms, and public opinion. Even documents themselves, such as official certificates, reports, or statistics, can carry authoritative status when they are issued or endorsed by recognised institutions.

Critical thinking does not require the rejection of authority as such. Rather, it requires recognising that authority, regardless of its source, is not infallible. Statements made by authorities may be accurate, partially accurate, misleading, or even false. Therefore, critical thinking treats authority as a provisional guide rather than a final arbiter of truth. It asks whether the authority’s claims are supported by transparent evidence, sound reasoning, and procedures that allow independent verification.

In this sense, scepticism towards authority is not an act of rebellion, but an intellectual discipline. It reflects the understanding that truth is not guaranteed by position, power, or prestige, but by the quality of evidence and the openness of the process through which claims are justified.

Moreover, critical thinking recognises a logical fallacy known as the appeal to authority. This fallacy occurs when a claim is treated as true merely because it is expressed by a powerful or well-known figure, without examining the underlying reasoning. Within critical reasoning, authority can only support a claim when it is accompanied by sound arguments and verifiable evidence; it cannot replace them.

Critical thinking also requires sensitivity to context and interests. Authorities often speak from particular positions that carry specific goals, agendas, or institutional constraints. For this reason, questions such as in what capacity a statement is made, on whose behalf it is delivered, and what remains unsaid are as important as the content of the statement itself.

It is equally important to understand that being critical of authority does not mean being anti-authority. Critical thinking does not reject expertise; rather, it places it in proper proportion. Authority is respected because its arguments are tested and found to be robust, not simply because of status or rank. In this way, trust becomes the result of reasoning rather than blind compliance.

Ultimately, when statements from authority are accepted without scrutiny, reason loses its role and individuals become easily swayed by rhetoric, office, or symbols of power. Critical thinking exists precisely to ensure that respect for authority remains aligned with intellectual responsibility, namely the obligation to ensure that what is accepted as truth is genuinely worthy of belief.

At the same time, they acknowledged that the police had followed its own procedural framework, but questioned whether those procedures were sufficient to address public controversy surrounding a matter of national importance. For them, the unresolved doubt was not proof of falsification, but evidence, in their view, that the process had not yet reached a level of openness capable of settling the issue conclusively.

From the perspective of critical thinking, the attitude adopted by Roy Suryo and his colleagues can be said to reflect certain elements of critical thinking, though not necessarily the whole of it, depending on how their doubt was formulated and pursued. On the side that aligns with critical thinking, their scepticism did not arise merely from a rejection of authority, but from restricted access to evidence. In critical reasoning, especially in matters of public significance, a claim is not sufficiently supported simply by being displayed unilaterally, particularly when those invited to assess it are not permitted to examine it properly. When an item of evidence cannot be touched, closely inspected, or independently tested, a problem of verifiability arises. Under such conditions, doubt is epistemologically reasonable. In this sense, their response reflects a basic critical principle: a claim requires evidence that can be examined, not merely shown.

In critical thinking, doubt is an intellectual virtue at the beginning. Doubt plays a positive and necessary role at the initial stage of thinking and inquiry. At the outset of encountering a claim, doubt functions as a safeguard against premature acceptance, forcing the mind to pause rather than rush towards agreement or rejection. In this sense, doubt protects reasoning from gullibility, conformity, and blind deference to authority.

At the beginning of critical inquiry, doubt encourages questioning rather than denial. It opens space for investigation by prompting the thinker to ask what grounds a claim rests upon, what evidence supports it, and whether alternative explanations are possible. Without this initial doubt, thinking easily collapses into mere repetition of received opinions, slogans, or institutional narratives.

Calling doubt an intellectual virtue also implies that it is disciplined rather than destructive. It is not the same as cynicism or habitual disbelief. Instead, virtuous doubt is provisional and purposeful: it suspends judgement while seeking clarification, evidence, and coherence. Its aim is not to undermine truth, but to ensure that what is accepted as true is worthy of acceptance.

Critical thinking is the capacity to evaluate information, ideas, or events consciously, rationally, and responsibly, rather than accepting them at face value. It requires an individual to question, to examine reasons, to weigh evidence, and to recognise the presence of bias—whether originating from external sources or from within oneself.

In critical thinking, one does not stop at what is being said, but proceeds further to consider why it is being said, who stands to benefit from it, what assumptions lie beneath it, and what consequences may follow if it is accepted or rejected. In other words, critical thinking is an effort to seek the most reasonable form of truth, not merely the most comfortable one.

Critical thinking is also not synonymous with cynicism or a habit of constant opposition. On the contrary, it demands intellectual humility: a readiness to acknowledge that one’s own views may be mistaken, and that new evidence can alter previous conclusions. A critical thinker is not hostile towards authority, yet neither does he or she accept it uncritically; authority is tested through arguments and evidence, not revered or dismissed on emotional grounds.

In everyday life, critical thinking becomes evident when a person is not easily swayed by misinformation, does not automatically believe political jargon, advertising claims, or religious quotations taken out of context, and can distinguish between facts, opinions, and emotional manipulation. Such a person asks: is this actually true, or does it merely feel true?

In short, critical thinking is a discipline of the mind— a conscious effort to keep one’s reasoning clear amid floods of information, competing interests, and persuasive rhetoric. Without it, people are easily led; with it, they retain the possibility of intellectual independence.

[Part 2]

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