Way back in the day Sir Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626) came up with 4 'idols' of truth to explain whether or not one was critically thinking. He felt strongly that by recognizing them one would avoid the mistakes they might lead you to in the act of thinking.
His main premise being that in order to really know an idea one had to know its opposite just as well. He also felt strongly that we need to question all assumptions from both a personal and a cultural perspective. So think about that as you ponder the 4 idols.
The Idol of the Tribe.
Fallacious thinking is often as a direct result of believing that one's senses and thinking are correct to the extent of ignoring evidence when that evidence does not conform to one's pre-conceived notions of reality or idea.
The Idol of the Cave.
In addition to an over-reliance on one's own physical senses we humans also act selfishly and don't consider the rest of the 'society'. Bacon said - "Everyone has a cave or den of his own, which refracts and discolours the light of nature."
The Idol of the Marketplace.
This represents the mis-use of language, representing Bacon's concern that unclear language is one of the primary causes of unclear thinking, reciprocally, to use language clearly will help one think clearly. "Because words govern reason [and] reason governs words."
The Idol of the Theatre.
The situation where one's mind is guided by accepted and often irrational (or blindly) accepted traditions. To 'uncritically' accept the authority and validity of an established tradition is to accept its errors and shortcomings. "Uncritical acceptance based on the word or position of authority is a barrier to sound reasoning."
Hat tip to Enoch Hale.
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