The 5Cs

In discussions about the content of this program, Mr. Bott has continually stressed the importance of what he refers to as “the 5Cs.” These are, of course, critical thinking, communication, creativity, collaboration, and curiosity. Given my insistence on the crucial importance of definitions and writing as thinking, I believe that it is necessary for me to offer some thoughts on (but not definitions of) these concepts that students will hear about repeatedly throughout their projects.

The beginning of every quest for knowledge is a question. Every research project must therefore be fueled by curiosity. But what is the purpose of knowledge? Why do we seek to know things? It is inherent in the nature of the human mind to not only record the phenomena experienced by the sense organs, but to catalogue it. To do this properly requires that we not only learn all the attributes of a certain phenomenon, but also its cause. This understanding of causal relationships is of the utmost importance to man, because it is in the nature of man to bring about change in the universe. Only through knowledge of cause and effect can man create such change. The purpose of knowledge, then, is to enable us to create change in the world. This is why man is curious. He wishes to bring about conditions that please him and seeks knowledge that will allow him to do so. Now, look at the world. What do you want to change about? What knowledge do you need to bring about such change? The answers to those questions should determine the focus of your project.

To ensure that the information you find and the thinking you base upon it will bring about the change you desire, you must test it through the process of critical thinking. The Foundation for Critical Thinking defines critical thinking as “that mode of thinking...in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully analyzing, assessing, and reconstructing it.” As an art, critical thinking is meant to combat biases in one’s thought. Many people believe that to think critically is to consider or even argue the opposite viewpoint of the one personally held. However, I think that critical thinking is not so much about balance as about clarity. What exactly are you saying? What exactly is being said to you? What is meant by the words being used? What implied assumptions are being made? Of course, if, through this clarification process, you find one of your assertions to be erroneous you should correct yourself. There is no utility in false thinking.

Now, strictly speaking, man does not create. The amount of matter in the universe is finite and fixed. Man transforms existing matter into his own image. He changes the world to suit himself better. In doing so, he leaves his own distinctive mark on creation. This is what we call creating; the mixing of our own essence with what has already been in existence. And, in fact, this process occurs in every action; we are always changing the world, in the weakest sense. To produce something original from a research project requires nothing more than offering your own thoughts about or analysis of some subject. This is why I think that it’s important to identify the biases (wrong word) in your thinking but not necessarily to remove them. They are the parts of your project that are strictly yours. They influence the questions you ask, your interpretation of the world, and the use to which you put the knowledge that you gain. Your whole project is a product of creative energy. The key is not to wonder how you can make your project more creative, but to ensure that you do not purge the creativity that already exists in it.

It’s important, however, to not take our creativity too far and thereby create a work of pure fiction, failing to answer the questions we set out to answer. We should maintain a link with the real world through collaboration with others. 99.9% of the information that we use every day resides in other people’s minds; almost nothing we do would be possible without these other minds. It would be unwise, therefore, to reject this tremendous advantage of a cooperative society. Collaboration benefits our projects by giving as access to the critical thinking of others, as well as their own thoughts and perspectives. Sometimes our assumptions are wrong. Sometimes our logic is flawed. Sometimes our course of inquiry is irrelevant. Sometimes our understanding of an issue is incomplete. Through collaboration we can become aware of other views and then either answer them with or incorporate them into our project.

Finally, through communication we answer our original question. Communication allows us to inform the world of the step we’ve taken toward effecting the change we seek, and to offer up the information we’ve discovered so that others can use it to take further steps. More fundamental, though, is the fact that your project cannot be completed, nor even your thinking fully developed, without communication. You cannot fully understand an idea until you can fully articulate it. It is through communication that your critical thinking will work. The concepts you grapple with and the conclusions you come to will remain muddy and unexamined until they are exposed to the light of the external world and required to stand on their own. Only through communication will we be able to really know what progress we’ve made.

Clearly, these concepts are not fully distinct from each other. They’re all part of the learning and thinking process. First, a question. Then research. Reflection and deduction, creative contribution. Critical thinking to analyze and refine one’s deductions. Collaboration for inspiration and refinement. Communication of one’s findings and ideas to oneself and one’s audience. They all flow from each other and work together.