Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum: What is Common Sense?

Longview Community College, Lee's Summit, Missouri

Critical Thinking
Across the
Curriculum Project

What is Common Sense, anyway?

Contributed by Matthew Westra, Longview Community College.

People often refer to their knowledge and skills as common sense. While this seems familiar and sensible, there needs to be a closer examination of just what common sense is and is not. This series of web pages will help explore the concept, and maybe change some of your ideas.

Spend a moment trying to define Common Sense.

Ask yourself, "What kinds of things are Common Sensical?

Examples:

How many functional teats (milking nipples) does a cow have?

4, 6, or 8?

Lobsters must be cooked while alive. They make a high pitched "screaming" noise when put in boiling water to cook. They only make this sound when put in tail first, not when put in head first.

Why?

A TV ad from a Law Firm says:

"The insurance companies didn't make billions of dollars by PAYING claims."

Is this true?
What EXACTLY is being said?
Have they made Billions of Dollars?
How have they made money?

We will return to evaluate these examples later. Some say Psychology is all common sense.

Let's try a Common Sense Test in Psychology.
Click above link to go to Part 2.

Copyright © 1996 Matthew Westra
Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum Project
Longview Community College , Lee's Summit, Missouri - U.S.A.
One of the Metropolitan Community Colleges
An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

Permission to reproduce these resource pages is granted for
non-profit educational use provided the above information
is retained on all copies.

Inquiries to: michael.connelly@mcckc.edu
Last modified: 03/02/04