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Morris-Cotterill - Critical Thinking is the mother of invention and the saviour of societies.

Monday, 10 August, 2026 - 09:15

The Wolfsburg Group and the OECD both say in recent documents that Critical Thinking is important. Welcome: I've been applying that in consultancy, systems design and training for more than 30 years. Shame it took you so long to work it out.

I have written a paper called

"Critical Thinking is the mother of invention and the saviour of societies."

I don't think I'm being over-dramatic. Many of today's ills can be laid at the door of those who have designed it out of modern education systems. But in financial crime risk, i's a core skill.

This paper examines the descriptions of "critical thinking" by leading educational establishments including USA’s National Library of Medicine, Monash University (AUS), Nichols School (USA), Brookes University (England). Foundation for Critical Thinking (USA), Cambridge University (England), University of Edinburgh (Scotland). e-safety Commissioner (AUS). Hong Kong University which demonstrate a wide range of opinions. Morris-Cotterill agrees with some, disagrees with others and explains why.

Critical Thinking sits at the heart of democracy and inventiveness. Using examples from history and politics, Morris-Cotterill demonstrates some of the reasons that the discipline of Critical Thinking has been undermined, even eradicated. But he emphasises that commercial concerns are also to blame.

Morris-Cotterill asserts that we are born with the ability to think critically and uses simple examples to prove this is so. He also uses examples of things we do where we automatically think critically without noticing it. So, he says, critical thinking is part of human nature and intellect.

That raises the question as to whether it is taught or re-awakened. Morris-Cotterill says that it's always there, just below the surface, but we have been forced to hide it by social pressures.

And yet, he points out, when financial crime risk systems were first legislated for, the language used made it clear that those working in financial services, at all levels not only senior compliance officers, must apply the principles of Critical Thinking to the financial crime aspects of their work. Why, then, are some saying that such an approach should be developed? For us, it's always been central to consultancy and training.

This short paper cannot touch on all aspects of this subject and does not try to. Instead it emphasises why the discipline of critical thinking is essential for society and, in particular, for anyone with any financial crime risk function in a bank, insurance company, law firm, accountancy practice and many more.

Instant download: https://payhip.com/b/B2eaQ

The paper includes a voucher to reclaim the purchase price of this paper on purchase of the e-learning course "Financial Crime - A Critical Thinking Approach" at https://payhip.com/b/RzI6L

#criticalthinking #financialcrime #morriscotterill

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