We are all thinkers in this world but it takes the great ones to keep the world moving ahead. One great thinker that comes to mind is Jonas Salk. Salk is credited with creating the first polio vaccine in the 1950's. He attended New York University and the University of Pittsburgh to study medicine. Instead of becoming a physician, he went into medical research, virology, and epidemiology at a time when the disease polio was leaving thousands dead and paralyzed, including the thirty second president, Franklin D. Roosevelt. After creating the vaccine, it was tested and deemed successful. People all over the world started taking the vaccine. After the vaccine was spread nation wide, Salk campaigned for mandatory public vaccination. Salk possessed something that is very rare. He had the intelligence to save the world from disease. He was like the superman of medicine. I think the fact that he was able to save people all around the world is one of the most incredible things to ever be done. That fact alone is noteworthy and praiseworthy. Saving millions of lives today and in the past, Salk, in my opinion is one of the greatest thinkers to ever exist.
In the last philosophy class, we discussed what a critical thinker actually is. It was defined as an active thinking that requires focus and particular processes. Salk exemplifies what a critical thinker should be. He had the discipline and goals to reach an incredible outcome in the world of medicine. He even stated, "I have had my dreams and I have had my nightmares, but I have conquered my nightmares because of my dreams." Salk's dreams represent his goals and his determination to get there. His careful thinking got him to that incredible breakthrough. Salk showed the world what the great critical thinkers can achieve.
Quote: brainyquote.com
