Skepticism vs. Cynicism
Philosophical Skepticism - a philosophical position in which people choose to critically examine whether the knowledge and perceptions that they have are actually true, and whether or not one can ever be said to have true knowledge,
Or
Scientific Skepticism - a scientific, or practical, position in which one does not accept the veracity of claims until solid evidence is produced in accordance with the scientific method.
The term skeptic is now usually used to mean a person who is taking a critical position in a given situation, usually by employing the principles of Critical Thinking and the scientific method (that is, scientific skepticism) to evaluate the validity of claims and practices. Empirical evidence is important to skeptics as it is possibly the best way to determine the validity of a claim.
Critical Thinking, within the framework of skepticism, is the mental process of acquiring information, then evaluating it to reach a logical conclusion or answer. Critical thinking is synonymous with informal logic. Increasingly, educators believe that schools should focus more on critical thinking than on memorization of facts.
Cynicism is generally used to refer to somebody who is inclined to disbelieve in human sincerity or virtue: an individual who maintains that human behavior is motivated entirely by self-interest. A modern cynic is typically highly contemptuous of social norms, especially those which serve more of a ritualistic purpose than a practical one, and will tend to dismiss a substantial proportion of popular beliefs and accepted wisdom as "bunk".
The cynic does NOT employ critical thinking to evaluate the validity of claims and practices. Another way of putting is that a cynic is clouded by personal bias when examining information, and thus always proves himself correct. i.e.; I knew it was bunk, I told you it was bunk, or just plain - bunk.
Skeptics are often confused with, or even denounced as, cynics. The truth, however, is that valid skeptical criticism (as opposed to arbitrary or subjective misgivings for an idea - cynicism) strictly originates from an objective and methodological examination.
Here is an excerpt from the Bertrand Russell quote on the previous page: "What makes a free thinker is not his beliefs, but the way in which he holds them. If he holds them because his elders told him they were true when he was young, or if he holds them because if he did not he would be unhappy, his thought is not free; but if he holds them because, after Careful Thought, he finds a balance of evidence in their favor, then his thought is free, however odd his conclusions may seem."
"Careful Thought" = Skepticism or Critical Thinking; not Cynicism!
The task of applying critical thinking to newly found information with the least amount of personal bias is Very Difficult at first. Over time you will continue to find it easier to do so provided that you attempt to exercise critical thinking on a daily basis.
Free Thinker - Another Definition
"A freethinker is one who thinks freely -- one who is prepared to consider any possibility, and who determines which ideas are right or wrong by bringing reason to bear, according to a consistent set of rules such as the scientific method."
Quotes
"Read not to argue and refute, nor to look for and find some hidden truth, but to weigh and consider."
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance." Socrates
"There are no facts, only interpretations." Friedrich Nietzsche
"As long as we read only that with which we agree, we learn nothing." Chester Dolan
"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
Martin Luther King Jr.
"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who haven't got it."
George Bernhard Shaw
