RATIONAL INQUIRY AND THE BIRTH OF CRITICAL THINKING

This article examines polemics as a crucial intellectual practice in the Enlightenment era and its influence on the birth of critical thinking. The Enlightenment thinkers relied not only on rational inquiry but also on polemical debates as a method of testing ideas, challenging dogmas, and promoting freedom of thought. Polemics, both in written and oral forms, became a tool for confronting established traditions and constructing new philosophical and social paradigms. By analyzing the works of Locke, Voltaire, Rousseau, Kant, and other figures, the article demonstrates how polemical discourse helped establish the foundations of modern critical reasoning and intellectual independence. The legacy of Enlightenment polemics remains relevant today, providing strategies for rational debate and constructive dialogue in education, politics, and intercultural communication.