Reframing Argument as an Act of Friendship: Overcoming Student Reluctance to Apply Critical Thinking

Reframing Argument as an Act of Friendship: Overcoming Student Reluctance to Apply Critical Thinking

To learn critical thinking, to acquire the ability to identify and evaluate argument, is distinct from wishing to use critical thinking in our lives. Students often express reluctance to use the critical thinking they learn because discourse about argument creates so much social dissonance in their minds. They wonder: Will my use of critical thinking disrupt my relationships in a major way? By examining the meaning of friendship, this article attempts to build the case that the argument can be a component of the highest forms of friendship. Reframing argument as an act of friendship might enhance the inclination to use critical thinking more frequently.