Beyond personal sharpness, what wider value does critical thinking have — for example, for how we treat other people and for democracy?

It respects persons' dignity and autonomy, builds mature responsible individuals, underpins rational traditions like science, and prepares people to be democratic citizens.

The value of critical thinking is framed along several lines that reach well past the individual:

• Respect for the dignity of persons — taking seriously their demands for reasons and explanations rather than dismissing them.
• Honest dealing with people, recognising their independent capacity to judge for themselves.
• Developing autonomy — growing into mature, responsible, considerate people.
• A core component of rational traditions in fields like history, science and mathematics.
• Preparation for democratic citizenship — critical skills and attitudes are what equip people to be citizens rather than followers.

Tip: Notice the through-line: treating others as reason-givers and reason-demanders. That's also why critical thinking is framed as an ethical matter, not just an intellectual one.