美国教育中批判性思维训练的三部曲.

我们常在教育文章中读到批判性思维(critical thinking) 这几个字。到底什么是批判性思维，还真容易让人晕晕忽忽搞不懂。这几天，我刚好接受了一个批判性思维的训练，用这个例子来说明批判性思维的概念，应该最合适了。

莎士比亚虽然很伟大，但批判他的人真不少。比较严厉的批评家认为，莎士比亚作品中充满了暴力，死亡，乱伦。在这些批评家看来，莎士比亚最严重的罪行是他不敬神，对天堂和地狱，他都不在乎。关于这个批判性思维的训练，老师首先让我们读批评家对莎士比亚的批评，然后老师给我们出题，让我们用自己的观点评论这些批评家，说出自己支持或者反对莎士比亚的理由。

这种批判性思维的训练特点之一是，无论是支持还是反对莎士比亚，只要你能自圆其说就可以。这种训练没有标准答案，每个人都可以夸夸其谈。

这个作业满分20分，我得了19分，是班级最高分。班级最低分是8分，平均分是16分。这个分数说明什么问题呢？它间接说明即使是美国学生，也不是每个学生对批判性思维全部在行，这种思维训练的班级平均水平大概是B而已。

我们班批判性思维(critical thinking)训练的三部曲

1。阅读批评家对莎士比亚作品的批评意见。

2。老师出题让大家评价批评家的观点。

3。独立思考，写出自己的观点。

附注：批评家对莎士比亚作品的批评意见

The multifaceted society of Shakespeare’s England contained both avid playgoers and venomous critics of theatrical entertainment. he theaters were closed down from time to time because of the Puritan reaction to them and because of the concerns of having large group gathering together, in part because of plague outbreaks. During Shakespeare's career, the theaters were closed for significant periods during 1581-1582; 1592-93; 1603-1604 and 1608-1609.

 One outspoken anti-theatricalist was the Puritan Phillip Stubbes, who published his The Anatomie of Abuses (1583) to lament the “corruption, wickedness, and sin” he saw in his “unhappy age.” Among his targets were fashion, football, gambling, and, of course, the theater. Here is a portion of his discussion “Of Stage Plays and Interludes, with Their Wickedness.” 


Excerpt from The Anatomie of Abuses 

http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/virtualit/images/shim.gif All Stage Plays, Interludes, and Comedies are either of divine or profane matter: If they be of divine matter, then are they most intolerable, or rather sacrilegious; for that the blessed word of God is to be handled reverently, gravely, and sagely, with veneration to the glorious Majesty of God, which shineth therein, and not scoffingly, floutingly, and jibingly, as it is upon stages in Plays and Interludes, without any reverence, worship, or veneration to the same. . . . 
http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/virtualit/images/shim.gif Upon the other side, if their plays be of profane matter, then tend they to the dishonor of God, and nourishing of vice, both which are damnable. . . .
http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/virtualit/images/shim.gif Do not they maintain bawdry, insinuate foolery, and renew the remembrance of heathen idolatry? Do they not induce whoredom and uncleanness? nay, are they not rather plain devourers of maidenly virginity and chastity? For proof whereof, but mark the flocking and running to theaters and curtains, daily and hourly, night and day, time and tide, to see Plays and Interludes; where such wanton gestures, such bawdy speeches, such laughing and fleering, such kissing and bussing, such clipping and culling, such winking and glancing of wanton eyes, and the like, is used, as is wonderful to behold. . . . And whereas you say there are good Examples to be learned in them, Truly so there are: if you will learn falsehood; if you will learn cozenage; if you will learn to play the Hypocrite, to cog, lie, and falsify; if you will learn to jest, laugh, and fleer, to grin, to nod, and mow; if you will learn to play the vice, to swear, tear, and blaspheme both Heaven and Earth; If you will learn to become a bawd, unclean, and to devirginate Maids, to devour honest Wives: if you will learn to murder, slay, kill, pick, steal, rob, and rove: If you will learn to rebel against Princes, to commit treasons, to consume treasures, to practice idleness, to sing and talk of bawdy love and venery: if you will learn to deride, scoff, mock and flout, to flatter and smooth: If you will learn to play the whore-master, the glutton, Drunkard, or incestuous person: if you will learn to become proud, haughty, and arrogant; and, finally if you will learn to condemn God and all his laws, to care neither for heaven nor hell, and to commit all kinds of sin and mischief, you need to go to no other school, for all these good Examples may you see painted before your eyes in interludes and plays.

http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/virtualit/images/shim.gif Source: Phillip Stubbes, Anatomy of the Abuses of England (1583)), 140-44

老师出的题目：

Write a response to the charges of the Puritans against the plays. Be sure to include some direct quotes from their writings and respond to them. Either support their charges with current examples of the negative effect of arts on public behavior or provide positive effects of attending plays or viewing arts.

我的回答：

  In Puritans’s writing, they criticized that Shakespeare’s plays were “either of divine or profane matter” and Shakespeare “care neither for heaven nor hell”. Although there are many “whore-master, the glutton, Drunkard or incestuous person” in Shakespeare’s plays, I do not think Shakespeare is a dirty writer. As a reader I can sense that Shakespeare teaches us life lessons in a different approach. 

In many his plays, Shakespeare shows the beauty and ugliness of life at same time and creates a big contrast for us to appreciate the true face of life. For example, the love story of Romeo and Julie deeply touches our heart, which shows to us the beauty of life. The sad ending of this play makes us feel great pity on these two lovers, although the ending is ugly and regretful. The presence of both beauty and ugliness in Shakespeare’s plays could attract readers to absorb into the stories deeply and learn the true face of life. Therefore I do not agree with what Puritans criticized about Shakespeare’s plays in general.   

There are many religion issues in Shakespeare’ plays and many characters indeed mention God’s name and words casually. In my view, the real world is not heaven and good and bad people coexist in our life. Therefore it is not surprising to see bad characters who are “dishonor of God, and nourishing of vice” in Shakespeare’ plays.  I feel that Shakespeare just tells us the truth about life.

For example, Othello was a Christian. Regretfully, Othello did not honor God by his cruel behavior to his wife.  Since Othello killed himself at the end, he did not follow God’s commands, either. Maybe Othello was indeed an example of “care neither for heaven nor hell”. However, Othello’s wife was a pure and nice Christian and what she did really honored the God. Although she was mistreated by Othello, she did not fight back and tolerated him until she was killed. In my view, she was a good role model of Christians. Again, the co-presence of beauty and ugliness might be a literal technique of Shakespeare to create a drama effect. Therefore I do not agree with what Puritans criticized about Shakespeare’s plays in the aspect of religion.

Although Shakespeare was criticized by people of his time and later generations, I still believe that “He was not of an age, but for all time”(Ben Jonson). Reconstruction of The Globe theater(Shakespeare Theater) in 1996 convinces to us that people still love Shakespeare and his plays.  So many quotations of Shakespeare’s plays are used in our daily life and we learn wisdom and life lessons from Shakespeare’s plays by watching these plays over and over. As mature audiences, we will not follow the bad behaviors of ugly characters in Shakespeare’s plays.  Therefore we do not need worry about Puritans’s writing which criticized Shakespeare so hard. 

In addition to Shakespeare’s plays, many modern plays also provide insight into our goal and dream about life. For example, MAMA Mia is one of these plays. By appreciating this play, we learn that “you will still have future even if you failed”.  I feel that good plays are our teachers, good plays can cheer us up when we are down and good plays are our good friends.  In my view, appreciation of classical plays is the most beautiful thing to do. Why no Shakespeare’s plays?