Learn HOW to Think, Not WHAT to Think
18 Hours of Video Lectures (and counting ...)
All of it FREE.
Students
Master the essential thinking and essay writing skills that you should know before leaving high school (but which you will never be taught in high school)!
Teachers
Learn new concepts and strategies for teaching your students how to think critically and write persuasively. It's not in the curriculum, but it's vital for success in school and in life!
Take a tour of the Critical Thinker Academy!
Your Instructor
Kevin deLaplante is the lead instructor at the Critical Thinker Academy. He earned an undergraduate degree in physics from Carleton University and a PhD in philosophy from Western University.
Kevin spent most of his academic career as an Associate Professor of Philosophy in the Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies at Iowa State University. From 2008-2013 he served as Chair of that department.
In 2015, Kevin left his academic job to work full time as an independent educator, creating video courses and other educational content that helps people develop their critical thinking and communication skills.
You can learn more about Kevin, his background and his current web projects at
"I've used content on the Academy as a reference for several years, working with groups of adult literacy learners in the context of creative writing - to clarify 'critical thinking' and it's importance. I'm really pleased to know that I can now encourage some less well off students to continue with your courses for free."
- Linda Quinn
"Back in 2010, as an economics undergrad at the University of California, I was preparing for an electives course in logic. Wanting to get a jump start on the material, I was searching through logic content on YouTube and came across the Critical Thinker channel. The Critical Thinker Academy was exactly what I had been searching for, a clear and concise exposition of the foundational ideas that underlie logic and argumentation. By being able to nail down the nuts and bolts of propositional logic with the help of the Critical Thinker Academy, I was able to secure a nearly perfect score in my introductory logic course. This is one among many reasons why I am a lifelong supporter of the Critical Thinker Academy."
- Jeremy Howson
"I tell everyone that critical thinking skills have been around for 2500 years, but for some reason it's never made it all the way down into the general population. Kevin's work at the Critical Thinker Academy is the bridge between the rigor of academia and the daily needs of us people out here who want to tame the complexity of the world we live in. We need this."
- Mark Halvorson
"The way that Kevin delivers the material is digestible, interesting, thought provoking and thorough. He manages to fit so much thoughtful material into a mere 6 minutes, in such an effortless and comprehensive way. The curriculum is great for a beginner like me, because he breaks it down into manageable bite size pieces, in a way that honours the natural intelligence of a person."
- Sharon Allen
"In the modern world, critical thinking is a critical skill. In a typical day, we're able to access more information than our hominid ancestors could've accessed in a life time. Given the large amounts of information we receive, the ability to scrutinize claims, interrogate information, and figure out the validity of the arguments we encounter, plays a massive role in helping us to make the decisions which influence our lives.
In these courses, Kevin deLaplante, accompanied by a smooth, dulcet voice - introduces us to arguments, cognitive biases, fallacies and more. The great thing about this material is that it immediately changes the way you view the world. I've had previous exposure to critical thinking, and the Academy works as an excellent review resource for me. For someone without previous exposure to critical thinking, the content in these courses may very well be a life-changing one. The lessons are rigorous, well-paced and sometimes challenging. Kevin knows his stuff and he oozes meaningful knowledge in each lesson. Enroll now."
- Yehudi Asamoah