Critical Thinking: from the naive optimism to the reasonable realism

Resumen

Usual conceptions of critical thinking, that shapes all kind of educational programs, are based on Enlightment typical assumptions. This way, the absence of scientific grounds and updated information is counterbalanced with strong doses of optimism, naivety and willfulness. In this article the need for update conceptions is held, that support the certainty of integrating critical thinking to educational institutions at all levels, turning to recent developments in cognitive sciences, evolution theory and epistemology, so introducing a reasonable degree of realism in ideas. At the same time, intellectual and social obstacles are identified, that prevent the implementation of critical thinking pedagogy efforts.