Revitalizing Critical Thinking in Acehnese Society: A Cultural and Islamic Framework

Asmanidar Asmanidar

Abstract


Critical thinking is a vital skill for developing adaptive societies capable of addressing the complexities of globalization and digitalization. In Aceh, however, critical thinking has significantly declined, as evidenced by the uncritical acceptance of unverified information, the prevalence of stereotypes, and decisions driven by conformity and egocentrism. This study investigates the root causes of this stagnation and proposes strategies for revitalization by integrating Islamic epistemology and Acehnese cultural values. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews, participatory observations, and document analysis involving 15 informants, including educators, community leaders, and youth in Neusu Aceh. The findings highlight five key barriers to critical thinking: egocentrism, self-interested thinking, conformity, unfounded assumptions, and stereotypes. These challenges are exacerbated by low digital literacy and cultural norms that prioritize group harmony over individual reflection. Drawing on Al-Ghazali’s tazkiyyat al-nafs (purification of the soul) and Kant’s sapere aude (dare to think independently), this study emphasizes the need for intellectual humility, courage, empathy, integrity, and rationality to combat these issues. The proposed strategies include integrating reflective practices into formal and non-formal education, promoting digital literacy programs tailored to local needs, and leveraging Acehnese Islamic traditions to foster a culture of critical thinking.


Keywords


Critical Thinking; Islamic Epistemology; Acehnese Culture

Full Text:

PDF

References


Al-Ghazali. (2011). Ihya Ulum al-Din. Beirut: Dar Al-Ma’rifah.

Bassham, G., Irwin, W., Nardone, H., & Wallace, J. M. (2011). Critical thinking: A student’s introduction (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.

Carter, S. L. (1999). Integrity. New York: Harper Perennial.

Fikram, M. N. (2023). Urgensi Berpikir Kritis Pada Generasi Milenial (Studi Penelitian Terhadap Kehidupan Beragama di Kecamatan Pidie). UIN Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh.

Fisher, A. (2011). Critical thinking: An introduction (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Glaser, E. M. (1985). Educating for critical thinking: A critical review of literature. Educational Research Quarterly, 8(3), 16–24.

Halpern, D. F. (2014). Thought and knowledge: An introduction to critical thinking (5th ed.). New York: Routledge.

Hasanah, N. (2023). Implementasi literasi digital dalam pendidikan Islam: Tantangan dan solusi. Equilibrium: Jurnal Pendidikan, 11(2), 180–190. https://doi.org/10.26618/equilibrium.v11i2.10426

Hajri, M. F. (2023). Pendidikan Islam di era digital: Tantangan dan peluang pada abad ke-21. Al-Mikraj: Jurnal Studi Islam dan Humaniora, 4(1), 33–41. https://ejournal.insuriponorogo.ac.id/index.php/almikraj/article/download/3006/1448

Hosen, N. (2019). Saring Sebelum Sharing. Yogyakarta: Bentang Pustaka

Kant, I. (1998). Critique of pure reason (P. Guyer & A. W. Wood, Eds. & Trans.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Kementerian Komunikasi dan Informatika RI. (2023). Statistik hoaks dan literasi digital di Indonesia.

Lubis, S. S. W. (2021). Pembelajaran menulis esai melalui media massa surat kabar dalam pembentukan berpikir kritis. Pionir: Jurnal Pendidikan, 10(2), 109–120. https://jurnal.ar-raniry.ac.id/index.php/Pionir/article/view/10506

Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Nickerson, R. S. (1998). Confirmation bias: A ubiquitous phenomenon in many guises. Review of General Psychology, 2(2), 175–220. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.2.2.175

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (2023). PISA 2023 results: Students’ literacy performance in a digital age. Paris: OECD Publishing.

Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2009). Critical thinking: Concepts and tools (7th ed.). Dillon Beach, CA: Foundation for Critical Thinking Press.

Soe’oed, R. (2017). Mengapa banyak orang pandai tidak kritis. Yogyakarta: Kalika.

Triandis, H. C. (2001). Individualism-collectivism and personality. Journal of Personality, 69(6), 907–924. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6494.696169

UNESCO. (2023). Global report on digital literacy and critical thinking in education. Paris: UNESCO Publishing.

Utomo, T. P. (2020). Literasi informasi di era digital dalam perspektif ajaran Islam. Buletin Perpustakaan Universitas Islam Indonesia, 3(1), 61–82.

Wardle, C., & Derakhshan, H. (2018). Information disorder: Toward an interdisciplinary framework for research and policy making. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.

Whitcomb, D., Battaly, H., Baehr, J., & Howard-Snyder, D. (2017). Intellectual humility: Owning our limitations. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 94(3), 509–539. https://doi.org/10.1111/phpr.12228

Wulandari, A. D. (2019). Era kebebalan: Penyebaran pengetahuan palsu dan kematian intelektualitas. Yogyakarta: PT Kanisius.




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22373/jpi.v4i2.26888

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2024 Asmanidar Asmanidar

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

INDEXED BY:

 

>

Redaksi Junal Pemikiran Islam (JPI): Gedung Fakultas Ushuluddin Lantai 1, Program Studi Aqidan dan Filsafat Islam Fakultas Ushuluddin dan Filsafat, UIN Ar-Raniry. Jln. Lingkar Kampus, Kopelma Darussalam Banda Aceh, Aceh 23111.Telp. (0651)7551295. eMail: jpi@ar-raniry.ac.id

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

View My Stats