Jordan Peterson - The Best Way To Learn Critical Thinking

Summary

Jordan Peterson argues that the best way to teach critical thinking is to teach people how to write. In his view, writing is not just an academic task: it is a way to organize thought, make coherent arguments, and act more effectively in the world.

He describes writing instruction as difficult and time-consuming. A strong essay may be easy to assess, but a weak one can have problems at every level—from word choice and sentence structure to paragraph order and overall coherence. Simply telling a student that everything is wrong is not useful; teachers need to identify what the student did partly well and explain how to improve.

To address this challenge, Peterson says he created a step-by-step guide or rubric for writing. Rather than relying only on grading flawed essays afterward, he aimed to help students produce better work through a structured process.

He emphasizes that students should be told why they are learning to write. The purpose is not merely to earn a grade, but to learn to think. People who can think, speak, and write clearly can present arguments, make proposals, persuade others, and gain influence and opportunities. Peterson compares these skills to powerful tools that need to be learned and practiced.

He ends with a provocative criticism: education may sometimes leave students less capable, perhaps reducing the likelihood that they will challenge those teaching them. This is presented as his speculation, not as a demonstrated conclusion.

Main Ideas and Lessons

• Writing develops critical thinking: Organizing an essay requires organizing ideas and arguments.
• Writing instruction needs structure: A guide or rubric can help students work through the writing process.
• Feedback should be constructive: When an essay has many problems, teachers need to identify manageable improvements rather than simply label the whole essay as wrong.
• Teach the purpose of writing: Students should understand that writing helps them think and communicate, not just earn grades.
• Clear communication has practical power: Coherent arguments and presentations can help people persuade others, gain opportunities, and have influence.
• Articulation requires practice: Like any powerful tool, the ability to write and speak effectively must be learned and used well.

Speakers Featured

• Jordan Peterson — speaker and lecturer.
• Unnamed student(s) — briefly respond during a discussion about where Peterson’s writing guide or rubric was posted.