Course code

HIK6082.HT

old course code

Course title in Estonian

Kriitiline mõtlemine

Course title in English

Critical Thinking

ECTS credits

6.0

Assessment form

Examination

lecturer of 2026/2027 Autumn semester

Oliver Laas (language of instruction:English)

lecturer of 2026/2027 Spring semester

Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.

Course aims

-

Brief description of the course

Critical Thinking is a course based on examples, exercises and practical tasks providing an introduction to the foundations of critical and scientific thinking, the key tools of reasoning, logic and argumentation, and various methods of critical analysis. Via exercises and examples, students acquire basic skills for distinguishing between knowledge and beliefs, for reasoning, constructing valid arguments, recognizing argumentation errors, wishful thinking, and rhetorical deception. We also seek to understand the social impact of ideologies, the characteristics and dissemination mechanisms of disinformation and conspiracy theories, as well as aim to acquire the basics of digital critical thinking.

Learning outcomes in the course

Upon completing the course the student:
- knows the main principles of critical and scientific thinking and be able to apply them;
- can identify and evaluate the validity of arguments and distinguish typical reasoning errors and fallacies;
- distinguish scientific knowledge from everyday knowledge and pseudoscience and be able to assess the reliability of sources;
- can critically analyze social and media texts using appropriate methods;

Teacher

Liisi Keedus

Study programmes containing that course

* (BFKOB/28.FK)
Youth Work (HRNR/27.HR)
Vocational Pedagogy (HRKPB/27-o.HR)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (HTLAB/28.HT)
Special Education (HREPB/27.HR)
Primary School Teacher (KAKLI/26.HR)
Theory of Culture (HTKUB/27.HT)
European Modern Languages and Cultures (HTENB/27.HT)
Anthropology (HTANB/27.HT)
Estonian Philology (HTEFB/27.HT)
History (HTAJB/27.HT)
Advertising and Public Relations (BFRSB/27-o.FK)
Philosophy (HTFIB/27.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/27.HT)
Primary School Teacher (KAKLI/25.HR)
Journalism ( BFAB/27.FK)
Asian Studies (HTAUB/27.HT)
Choreography (KUKRB/26.FK)
Russian Philology (HTVFB/27)
Adult Education (KAANB/26-o.HR)
Estonian Philology (EKEB/26.HT)
Theory of Culture (HIKTB/26.HT)
Russian Philology (SKVB/26.HT)
Journalism (KOAB/26.FK)
Advertising and Public Relations (KORSB/26-o.FK)
Primary School Teacher (KAKLI/24.HR)
European Modern Languages and Cultures (GRENB/26.HT)
Philosophy (HIFIB/26.HT)
Early Childhood Education (KAALB/26.HR)
Special Education (KAEPB/26.HR)
Law (AKLB/26.YK)
Law (AKOB/26-o.YK)
Politics and Governance (RIPGB/26.YK)
Anthropology (HIANB/26.HT)
History (AIAJB/26.HT)
Asian Studies (HILAB/26.HT)
Youth Work (TPNR/26-o.HR)
Youth Work (TPNR/26-t.HR)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/26.HT)
Education (KAPB/26.HR)
Adult Education (KAANB/26-t.HR)
Vocational Pedagogy (KAKPB/26-o.HR)
Liberal Arts in Social Sciences (KKLSB/26.YK)
Philosophy, Politics and Economics (HFPMB/26.HT)
Sociology (RASLB/26-t.YK)
Sociology (RASLB/26-o.YK)
Anthropology (HIANB/25.HT)
European Modern Languages and Cultures (GRENB/25.HT)
Sociology (RASLB/25-o.YK)
Adult Education (KAANB/25.HR)
Asian Studies (HILAB/25.HT)
Law (AKLB/25.YK)
Sociology (RASLB/25-t.YK)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/25.HT)
Philosophy (HIFIB/25.HT)
Theory of Culture (HIKTB/25.HT)
Primary School Teacher (KAKLI/23.HR)
Special Education (KAEPB/25.HR)
Early Childhood Education (KAALB/25.HR)
Advertising and Public Relations (KORSB/25.FK)
Politics and Governance (RIPGB/25.YK)
Estonian Philology (EKEB/25.HT)
Vocational Pedagogy (KAKPB/25.HR)
Youth Work (TPNR/25.HR)
Education (KAPB/25.HR)
Russian Philology (SKVB/25.HT)
Choreography (KUKRB/24.FK)
Adult Education (KAANB/25-o.HR)
Journalism (KOAB/25.FK)
History (AIAJB/25.HT)
Youth Work (TPNR/25-o.HR)
Law (AKOB/25-o.YK)
Liberal Arts in Social Sciences (KKLSB/25.YK)
Russian Philology (SKVB/24.HT)
Special Education (KAEPB/24.HR)
Theory of Culture (HIKTB/24.HT)
Youth Work (TPNR/24.HR)
Advertising and Public Relations (KORSB/24.FK)
Primary School Teacher (KAKLI/22.HR)
Asian Studies (HILAB/24.HT)
Journalism (KOAB/24.FK)
Early Childhood Education (KAALB/24.HR)
Sociology (RASLB/24-o.YK)
Adult Education (KAANB/24.HR)
Law (AKOB/24-o.YK)
Liberal Arts in Social Sciences (KKLSB/24.YK)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/24.HT)
Politics and Governance (RIPGB/24.YK)
History (AIAJB/24.HT)
Anthropology (HIANB/24.HT)
Estonian Philology (EKEB/24.HT)
Philosophy (HIFIB/24.HT)
Sociology (RASLB/24-t.YK)
Law (AKLB/24.YK)
European Modern Languages and Cultures (GRENB/24.HT)
Education (KAPB/24.HR)
European Modern Languages and Cultures (GRENB/23-o.HT)
Asian Studies (HILAB/23.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/23.HT)
Sociology (RASLB/23-t.YK)
Education (KAPB/23.HR)
Philosophy (HIFIB/23.HT)
Politics and Governance (RIPGB/23.YK)
Anthropology (HIANB/23.HT)
Primary School Teacher (KAKLI/21.HR)
Choreography (KUKRB/22.FK)
Special Education (KAEPB/23.HR)
History (AIAJB/23.HT)
Estonian Philology (EKEB/23.HT)
European Modern Languages and Cultures (GRENB/23-t.HT)
Theory of Culture (HIKTB/23.HT)
Russian Philology (SKVB/23.HT)
Journalism (KOAB/23.FK)
Law (AKLB/23.YK)
Law (AKOB/23-o.YK)
Sociology (RASLB/23-o.YK )
Law (AKLB/23-hel.YK)
Advertising and Public Relations (KORSB/23.FK)
Law (AKOB/22-o.YK)
Law (AKLB/22-hel.YK)
Philosophy (HIFIB/22.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/22.HT)
Asian Studies (HILAB/22.HT)
Anthropology (HIANB/22.HT)
European Modern Languages and Cultures (GRENB/22-t.HT)
Politics and Governance (RIPGB/22.YK)
Law (AKLB/22.YK)
European Modern Languages and Cultures (GRENB/22-o.HT)
Russian Philology (SKVB/22.HT)
Journalism (KOAB/22.FK)
Advertising and Public Relations (KORSB/22.FK)
Law (AKOB/22-t.YK)
History (AIAJB/22.HT)
Education (KAPB/22.HR)
Sociology (RASLB/22.YK)
Estonian Philology (EKEB/22.HT)
Theory of Culture (HIKTB/22.HT)
Law (AKLB/21-hel.YK)
Philosophy (HIFIB/21.HT)
Theory of Culture (HIKTB/21.HT)
European Modern Languages and Cultures (GRENB/21.HT)
Estonian Philology (EKEB/21.HT)
Education (KAPB/21.HR)
Anthropology (HIANB/21.HT)
Advertising and Public Relations (KORSB/21.FK)
History (AIAJB/21.HT)
Asian Studies (HILAB/21.HT)
Law (AKLB/21.YK)
Sociology (RASLB/21.YK)
Law (AKOB/21.YK)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/21.HT)
Russian Philology (SKVB/21.HT)
Choreography (KUKRB/20.FK)
Politics and Governance (RIPGB/21.YK)
Politics and Governance (RIPGB/20.YK)
Theory of Culture (HIKTB/20.HT)
Law (AKOB/20.YK)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/20.HT)
Asian Studies (HILAB/20.HT)
Sociology (RASLB/20.YK)
Philosophy (HIFIB/20.HT)
History (AIAJB/20.HT)
Anthropology (HIANB/20.HT)
Law (AKLB/20.YK)
Russian Philology (SKVB/20.HT)
Education (KAPB/20.HR)
Estonian Philology (EKEB/20.HT)
European Modern Languages and Cultures (GRENB/20.HT)
Anthropology (HIANB/19.HT)
Estonian Philology (EKEB/19.HT)
History (AIAJB/19.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/19.HT)
Philosophy (HIFIB/19.HT)
European Modern Languages and Cultures (GRENB/19.HT)
Russian Philology (SKVB/19.HT)
Theory of Culture (HIKTB/19.HT)
Asian Studies (HILAB/19.HT)
Law (AKLB/19.YK)
Politics and Governance (RIPGB/19.YK)
Sociology (RASLB/19.YK)
Sociology (RASLB/18.YK)
Asian Studies (HILAB/18.HT)
Russian Philology (SKVB/18.HT)
History (AIAJB/18.HT)
Philosophy (HIFIB/18.HT)
Estonian Philology (EKEB/18.HT)
Politics and Governance (RIPGB/18.YK)
Law (AKLB/18.YK)
European Modern Languages and Cultures (GRENB/18.HT)
Anthropology (HIANB/18.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/18.HT)
Theory of Culture (HIKTB/18.HT)
Advertising and Publicity Studies (KORMB/17.FK)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/17.HT)
Anthropology (HIANB/17.HT)
Estonian Philology (EKEB/17.HT)
European Modern Languages and Cultures (GRENB/17.HT)
Asian Studies (HILAB/17.HT)
Sociology (RASLB/17.YK)
Russian Philology (SKVB/17.HT)
Theory of Culture (HIKTB/17.HT)
Politics and Governance (RIPGB/17.YK)
Philosophy (HIFIB/17.HT)
Law (AKLB/17.YK)
History (AIAJB/17.HT)
Estonian Philology (EKEB/16.HT)
Russian Philology (SKVB/16.HT)
Sociology (RASLB/16.YK)
Advertising and Publicity Studies (KORMB/16.FK)
Politics and Governance (RIPGB/16.YK)
Anthropology (HIANB/16.HT)
Law (AKLB/16.YK)
Philosophy (HIFIB/16.HT)
Theory of Culture (HIKTB/16.HT)
Asian Studies (HILAB/16.HT)
European Modern Languages and Cultures (GRENB/16.HT)
History (AIAJB/16.HT)
Anthropology (HIANB/00.HT)
European Modern Languages and Cultures (GRENB/00.HT)
Asian Studies (HILAB/00.HT)