Richard Paul
Critical thinking scholar and philosopher
Richard Paul was a philosopher and educator who founded the Center for Critical Thinking. He wrote Critical Thinking with Linda Elder.
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About Richard Paul
Richard Paul was born in Chicago in 1937 and earned his doctorate in philosophy from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1968. He taught at Sonoma State University for almost thirty years and later became Professor Emeritus of Philosophy there. In 1980 he set up the Center for Critical Thinking at Sonoma State University, and the Foundation for Critical Thinking followed. In 1981 he convened the first global conference on critical thinking, which grew into the longest-running gathering of its kind. He also held the post of research and professional development director at the Center. Paul wrote more than 200 articles on the subject and led workshops for educators over a career of about 35 years. Critical Thinking, written with Linda Elder, is a text that aims to give students intellectual tools for learning in any subject.