Critical Thinking and Ethics Essays (614 words) - Thought

Critical Thinking and Ethics Essays (614 words) - Thought Critical Thinking and Ethics Victoria Mullally GEN/201 June 1, 2015 Kimberly Drager Critical thinking ethics, who can keep up? Defining these terms individually and together is one way to helping understand what they are and how they can help you as a student and a growing individual. Everyone could give a different answer to the question What is critical thinking? The way I would define it is thinking about things to find new meaning. Asking the w questions is a great way to start. Making sure you can find fact from fiction and informing yourself of such are just a few other benefits of critical thinking. According to "Defining Critical Thinking" (1987), Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing (para. 2). Sounds simple enough- ask questions and get a deeper understanding of what youre asking. Let me just say it may sound easy but there are steps to take when using the critical thinking process. The process of critical thinking requires remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating. (Ellis, 2014, p. 205). Each of these steps is a different level of your ability to think critically. You may not have them down in order, you may be better at some steps then others, just remember if you practice thinking with each of these steps you will be on your way to using critical thinking in your everyday life. Applying personal ethics is just as important as using the critical thinking process. Ethics is what you think is right and wrong. Each person has a different style of ethics that is important to them. Ethics are used every day and everywhere. In a professional setting ethics are used to make decision that can affect the entire workplace. I believe this is the reason there should be more than one boss at a company. If only one person uses their personal ethics to make a decision then many others could be affected in a negative way. If more than one person uses their personal ethics to make a decision they can come to a compromise that will work for everyone. The same can be said in social matters. The people of a community have to work together to create an environment we can all be a part of. If people of a community cant come to compromise there would be chaos. On a personal level I prefer to use what is called a relationship lens. This means I care more about the fairness and equality of each person then I do about those with more power. I am said to be blind to equality. I believe in the process of equality too much that I will be blind to the fact that there is a chance of inequality even if the process is fair. Because of these beliefs making decisions, for me, is usually based on how my decision will affect others. I care too much for the treatment of others and equality. I want everyone in any situation to have the same rights, responsibilities, and care for eachother. If I have to make an important decision I want the input from the people around me. In the long run this could also be a downfall for me because the people closest to me become exempt from the equality I desire for everyone. Using ethics and critical thinking together to get through anything in life is going to take practice. Once you understand your personal thought process and the ethics you use to make decisions you will be better off. References Defining Critical Thinking. (1987). Retrieved from https://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/defining-critical-thinking/766 Ellis, Dave. Becoming a Master Student, 15e, 15th Edition. Cengage Learning, 2014. VitalBook file

Dorudon - Facts and Figures

Dorudon - Facts and Figures Name: Dorudon (Greek for spear-toothed); pronounced DOOR-ooh-don Habitat: Seashores of North America, northern Africa and the Pacific Ocean Historical Epoch: Late Eocene (41-33 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 16 feet long and half a ton Diet: Fish and mollusks Distinguishing Characteristics: Small size; distinctive teeth; nostrils on top of head; lack of echolocation abilities    About Dorudon For years, experts believed that the scattered fossils of the prehistoric whale Dorudon actually belonged to juvenile specimens of Basilosaurus, one of the largest cetaceans that ever lived. Then, the unexpected discovery of unmistakably juvenile Dorudon fossils demonstrated that this short, stubby whale merited its own genusand may actually have been preyed on by the occasional hungry Basilosaurus, as evidenced by bite marks on some preserved skulls. (This scenario was dramatized in the BBC nature documentary Walking with Beasts, which portrayed Dorudon juveniles being gobbled up by their larger cousins). One thing that Dorudon shares in common with Basilosaurus is that both of these Eocene whales lacked the ability to echolocate, since neither of them possessed a characteristic melon organ (a mass of soft tissues that acts as a kind of lens for sound) in their foreheads. This adaptation appeared later in cetacean evolution, spurring the appearance of larger and more diverse whales that subsisted on a wider variety of prey (Dorudon, for instance, had to content itself with presumably slow-moving fish and mollusks).