Steve Shaw says: the ability to be critical and discriminating. To demand evidence and to [be] skeptical. To sort the wheat from the chaff. The freedom to think for yourself, not to accept the things you're being told that are based merely on tradition, hearsay, edicts from holy men, witness, miracles or selected ancient texts of dubious authorship.

Interestingly, that's a pretty good summary of the Jesuit philosophy of education, which emphasizes "critical thinking."

-Joe-