Thought Work

Thinking has, for many of us, become as passive as breathing. While it's essential to our very existence, we devote little energy or time to cultivating it. Thought Work: Thinking, Action, and the Fate of the World challenges us to reinstate the restless, complicated activity of thinking as the heart of all education, life, and work.Our underappreciation of careful thought has crippled our ability to sustain a moral, conscience-driven society, and it now falls to each of us to examine the underlying thought processes that guide our every action. Distinguished philosopher Elizabeth K. Minnich and evaluation studies pioneer Michael Quinn Patton gather a diverse cast of thought leaders to respond to this dilemma. From systems and strategic thinking, entrepreneurial thinking, and critical and evaluative thinking, to ethical and philosophical thinking and thinking grounded in and informed by the humanities and community organizing, this volume unpacks vital creative processes and develops schema to support increased thought training in and across individual professions.Together, the contributed thought works of this volume will empower students, scholars, and professionals in any field to reignite their dedicated, thoughtful progress towards long term conscience-driven goals.

Preface: Beyond Banalities: Thinking at Work in the WorldElizabeth K. Minnich and Michael Quinn PattonI. What is Thinking?Chapter 1. Thinking about Thinking with Hannah Arendt in MindElizabeth K. Minnich2. Beyond Banality in Thinking About ThinkingMichael Quinn PattonII. Teaching ThinkingChapter 3. The Limits of Moral HeroismAllen DunneChapter 4. Thinking Responsibly: Barriers and PathwaysTroy DusterChapter 5. Perceiving the Possibility of Possibility: Making Thinking the Heart of EducationEduardo DuarteChapter 6. Teaching ThinkingElizabeth MinnichChapter 7. Thought in Progress: Field Notes from NorwayJan Reinert KarlenIII. Ethical, Moral, and Political ThinkingChapter 8. Shakespeare's Faust: A Parable of Our TimeGayle GreeneChapter 9. Why Not Lie? A Reflective EssayElizabeth MinnichChapter 10. Critical thinking and its limitations: Can we think our way out of white supremacy?Stephen BrookfieldChapter 1l. Thinking like an organizer: Habits of ResistanceSi KahnIV. Thinking at WorkChapter 12. Beyond Banal Business Practices: Reflections on Thoughtless And Thoughtful Practices of International Businesses in Developing CountriesFrederick BirdChapter 13. Strategic Thinking in Support of Intensive and Extensive GoodJohn M. Bryson, Barbara C. Crosby, and Danbi SeoChapter 14. Can Systems Thinking be an Antidote to Evil?G.P. RichardsonChapter 15 Entrepreneurial Thinking As Change Agent for GoodMary GowanChapter 16. ThoughtWork in Program Evaluation: Beyond Banality in Evaluation PracticeMichael Quinn PattonV. AfterwordChapter 17. Reflections on ThoughtWorkElizabeth K. Minnich and Michael Quinn Patton