Critical thinking education – SV Blunt

In the twenty-first century knowledge is increasingly being viewed as a consumable, a commodity; a product to be traded locally and in the world market to expand business and increase profit margins. Individuals, too, have come to be viewed as commodities – indicated by the term ‘human resources’. This article addresses the implications of this perspective, arguing that pedagogy (and what it means to be educated) should be viewed from a critical thinking perspective to stem the veritable tsunami of ‘common sense’ ideologies that underpin the view that tertiary institutions are powerhouses of delivery of the type of product that can be used to sustain an insatiable world economy, particularly since the demands on South African education to heed this rhetoric are intensifying.
From: SAJHE 19 Special Issue 2005, pp. 1368-1378