To "scratch beneath the surface" of an inquiry topic is to go deeper.  It is to make progress.  It is to arrive at a tentative answer to the inquiry question or, as is more oftentimes the case, to see new connections or even to feel the puzzlement that comes with a deeper understanding of the complexity of the topic.  This week our group will demonstrate strategies that will help you to scratch beneath the surface and guide the community towards intellectual progress. Continue reading

The I in Jackson's tool kit stands for a cluster of skills.  We use the "I' tool when we do hypothetical "If...Then..." thinking.  If this happens, we might think, then what might the consequences be?  When we engage in this sort of thinking we send out an intellectual scout.  Just as a scout goes ahead of an army in order to scope out potential sources of danger, we use this hypothetical "If...then..." thinking to scout out likely consequences.  Yes, my son could learn from trial and error that jumping off the roof is a bad thing.  But I would much rather he send ahead the scout; if I jump off the roof, then what might happen?   Continue reading

The "T" in this kit stands for "Is it true?"  Sometimes everyone thinks something is true.  It is, they say, common knowledge.  But is this belief really true?  How do we know that it is true?  And how can we be sure that it is true? Sometimes, as we get older, we stop wondering and stop asking questions like these.  This can be a mistake.  Sometimes we can be a little too sure of our beliefs and, as a consequence, head down the wrong track.  "T" is a sort of cognitive dynamite.  We use it to blow up the roadblock of over-confident certainty and, by so doing, provide ourselves with the opportunity to verify that our beliefs and subsequent choices are, indeed, leading us down the right track. Continue reading

"A" stands for Assumption.  Usually we think of an assumption as a bad belief or a belief that does not have enough support.  But, as I see it, an assumption is a flag of warning that we raise in order to indicate that a belief may not be accurate. My explanation of Assumption is, to be sure, different.  I don't know if anyone else in p4cHI would explain this tool in the way that I'm going to explain it.  Have I got it right?  You can listen and be the judge of that.  Ultimately, I think what's most important isn't whether or not I've got everything right.  It is whether or not my ideas are useful or thought-provoking. Continue reading

Drawing from his many years of experience, p4cHI founder Dr. Thomas Jackson (Dr. J) shares some of his most memorable moments and significant realizations.  These stories provide us with a vibrant and oftentimes inspirational perspective on where p4cHI has come from, what it is, and, indeed, on what it could be. This week Dr. J reflects upon "progress."  There are, he explains, three kinds of progress that can take place during the course of a p4cHI inquiry.   Continue reading

The  C from the Good Thinker's Tool Kit stands for "counter-example."  A counter-example, quite simply, is an example that is used to counter a claim.  It shows that the claim is not accurate.  Counter-examples are most powerful when used to refute a universal claim.  A universal claim is one that allows for no exceptions.  If you say, for instance, that "All dogs are mammals," "All lemons are fruits," or "All men are idiots," you are making a universal claim.  (Note that stereotypes are universal claims.  Usually the word "all" isn't spoken -- the speaker will just say "Men are idiots!" -- but the meaning is still the same.) Continue reading

The Good Thinker's Toolkit is an important element of p4cHI practice and in this video post you'll get some suggestions on how to effectively use it. One thing that you won't get to see in this course are all of the "Bonus Features" and "Bloopers" that our group filmed.  (You'll have to get your hands on the hopefully someday-existent DVD for that stuff!)  The group loved doing the "Bloopers" (like the famous "How  Not to Behave" video.)  They also enjoyed shooting the bonus features.   Continue reading

The E from the Good Thinker's Tool Kit can stand for "Evidence" or "Examples."  Evidence is used to support claims.  For instance, a scientist uses evidence to verify her hypothesis and a lawyer uses evidence to defend her client.  A good thinker uses evidence.  A good thinker also knows that not all evidence is created equal; she evaluates whether the evidence is good evidence. Continue reading

R is for "Reasons."  Reasons are immensely important.  They are like the foundation of your house.  They support our beliefs and justify our choices. Why should I do this?  Why should I believe that?  We answer these questions, in large part, by evaluating the reasons which lie behind them.  Using reasons, asking for reasons, and sorting good reasons from bad is a big part of thinking well. Continue reading

The first tool that we will examine from the Good Thinker's Tool Kit is the " W."  "What do you mean by....?" is a move that we use when we're seeking clarification.  Asking this is like putting on a pair glasses; it clears up the blurriness and allows you to see matters more sharply.  Using this tool can help us to make better personal decisions.  It can also, as you will hear, have profound consequences. Continue reading