The Paul-Elder framework of critical thinking helps individuals to master their dimensions of thinking by identifying and evaluating the usage of thinking parts. Dr. Paul's framework focuses on improving the reasoning process through its main features of intellectual standards, elements of reasoning, and intellectual traits ( Paul, 2008) . According to the framework, elements of reasoning includes the point of view, assumption, concept and ideas, attempt, purpose, inferences and interpretations, data, information, and evidence, and implications and consequences. Intellectual standards encompass the need to be clear, accurate, relevant, precise, deep, broad, significant, logical, and fair ( Paul, 2008) . Intellectual traits, on the other hand, includes intellectual integrity, empathy, courage, humility, perseverance, fair-mindedness, and confidence in reason. This essay discusses Dr. Paul's intellectual standard of clarity, including an example and illustration.
The standard of clarity is essential in critical thinking because it focuses on the quality of being intelligible and coherent. A major aspect of clarity is communication, which requires individuals to be clear in how they communicate their beliefs, thoughts, and reasons ( Malik & Girdhar, 2018) . The clarity in communication eliminates confusion, ambiguity, and obscurities to promote understanding ( Lykken, 2016) . Individuals cannot tell whether a statement is accurate or relevant when it is not clear ( Paul, 2008) . People cannot explain what a statement means when they do not know what it is saying. For instance, when discussing the issues of morality, some people may think of the conventional morality of some communities, while others may relate to transcultural standards of morality. Defining the terms addresses the quest for clarity.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
An example of an unclear statement is: What can be done about the education system in the United States? Addressing the question adequately requires a clearer understanding of how the person asking it conceptualizes a problem. A clearer question might be, "What teachers in the United States can do to ensure that students develop the abilities and skills to understand their world and act ethically. Individuals do not fully understand thoughts except to the extent that they can illustrate, elaborate, and exemplify them. Analogies that address clarity in thinking include do you need an illustration on that point?, could you express the point differently?, or Am I clear about your meaning?
References
Lykken, D. (2016, September 2). The Importance of Clarity in Communication. Retrieved from https://nationalmortgageprofessional.com/blog/importance-clarity-communication
Malik, A. K., & Girdhar, A. P. (2018). The essence of Effective Communication. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326534323_Essence_of_Effective_Communication
Paul, R. (2008). Critical Thinking - Standards of Thought - Part 1 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/gNCOOUK-bMQ
Paul, R. (2008). Critical Thinking - Standards of Thought - Part 2 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/Ksk2-ayoBck
