Critical Analysis Essay

Using the concepts learned through the readings and lecture pages, write a critical analysis essay that answers at least three of the following prompts or questions:

1. How might you employ critical thinking as a tool to further your career aspirations?
2. Describe the differences between inert information, assumptions, and inferences. Describe an assumption that you have made in the past that had important consequence.
3. Where do you see yourself using activated ignorance (Links to an external site.) to think about issues? What steps could you take to move towards activated knowledge on this issue?
4. What is the difference between activated ignorance and activated knowledge? Where do you have difficulties “thinking for yourself”? Why does critical thinking demand high levels of intellectual autonomy?
5. Why are concepts, theories, and ideas central to good critical reasoning?

Requirements:

• Cite all claims and ideas using scholarly sources. While it is acceptable to write in the first person, be sure to cite your sources to support your inferences. To understand how to construct your thoughts you can view these short clips on informal and formal writing.
  • Peter Elbow: On Writing (Links to an external site.)
  • Writing for Life: Start 39:58 end 41:30
  • Writing Across the Curriculum: Forgetting formality: Start 29:05 end 32:52
  • Writing Across the Curriculum Revising for Formality: Start 32:53 end 34:48
• Include at least one or two scholarly sources that are not part of the required or recommended reading for this course. The CSU-Global Library (Links to an external site.) is a good place to find these sources.
• Your paper should be four to five pages in length and formatted according to the CSU-Global Guide to Writing & APA (Links to an external site.).
• Papers should be double-spaced, 12-point font Times New Roman.
• Include the following in your essay: a brief introduction (Links to an external site.), a conclusion (Links to an external site.), and a reference page formatted according to CSU-Global APA requirements.