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A framework examining how the concept of “critical thinking” is often weaponized to chill inquiry rather than encourage it. When “critical thinking” becomes synonymous with doubting only certain claims (usually non-mainstream ones), and when it is used to dismiss perspectives without engagement, it produces a chilling effect: people avoid raising questions that will be met with accusations of irrationality. The theory reveals that “critical thinking” can become a boundary marker, not a practice.
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