Critical Things You Need To Know For Writing a Critical Thinking Essay

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Critical thinking is considered to be an important part of the thinking process in general. Approaching a specific problem and forming a judgment based on objective facts is at the core of critical thinking. A critical thinking essay is aimed at analyzing an idea objectively, balancing both sides of the debate without personal bias. Knowing how to write a good critical thinking essay is little different from a regular essay writing, but there are things that set the two apart. The difference between them is very subtle, so sometimes students turn to ordering their critical thinking essays from the essay writing service EssayShark where the team of expert essay writers provide qualified essay help.

Just like a regular essay, a critical thinking essay can be divided into three general parts, an introduction, the main body, and a conclusion. While a regular essay may require simply presenting an idea by analyzing relevant sources, a critical thinking essay requires reviewing the idea in more detail. Extracting evidence for or against a specific position, recognizing weaknesses and strengths of the argumentation and providing a well-sourced, preferably objective opinion is all part and parcel of a good critical thinking essay. Being able to reflect on the idea in a more profound way than usual is also a plus.

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What sets an essay of this type apart from a regular essay is the need to represent an argument. The author takes or is presented with a specific position. A critical thinking essay requires the author to convince the reader with facts, logic and relevant sources that this position is right, but without actually misrepresenting or minimizing other viewpoints. The argument or the position is established through a successful thesis statement.

Now, suppose we have established the general rules on how to write a critical thinking essay. How would such an essay look like? Short of actually writing an entire essay, it is worth looking at how the initial work of writing a critical essay is done. First, there is a specific problem. This problem tends to be a poignant societal issue, like minority rights or abortion, but sometimes it is less controversial. The problem itself does not really matter. What matters is the ability to take the original position and analyze it critically, providing an objective overview of the subject matter with minor nuances and contexts taken into account.

Let’s assume that the topic at hand is sorting waste. A critical thinking essay might require you to reflect on why this type of environmentally friendly activity is necessary and why the opposing arguments don’t have a proverbial leg to stand on. Simply analyzing the sources here is not enough: the essay writer has to understand both their potential position and why the opponents hold to their respective beliefs. It is necessary to be able to entertain an opposing viewpoint when it comes to critical thinking. In fact, a true test for critical thinking would actually be writing a hypothetical essay on how sorting waste does not help the environment: convincingly playing the devil’s advocate is key when writing a critical thinking essay.

To summarize, a critical thinking essay is a type of essay that argues for a specific position, with generally a deeper level of analysis than in a regular essay. Being able to reflect on the idea is a must here. Writing a good critical thinking essay requires being able to assess both sides of an argument objectively, but specifically providing evidence in favor of the chosen position. This type of essay is, therefore, a great way of honing one’s critical thinking skills.