Progressing from the stage of “garden of Eden” to the stage of “thinking critically” is a form of gradual development through one’s critical thinking process, and known as the stages of knowing.

<u>Explanation:</u>

William Perry was the one who put forth the concept of gradual knowing, using one’s thinking and realizing.

In the stage of “garden of Eden”, the individual almost holds a one sided view of knowing or knowledge, i.e. He sees the authorities being the epitome of knowledge and knowing, and see’s the world as seen through the perspective of the authorities.

In the second stage however, the thinking and the knowing of the person becomes more rational. He starts to adhere other points of view, and realities that all authorities may be right in their respect and there is no one single truth. This is the stage of “anything goes”

In the third stage of knowing, which is the “thinking critical stage”, here the individual out of curiosity and self-introspection, develops the rational and critical thinking that even though authorities say a point of view, other point of view also hold because there is convincing fact that supports the same.
Here the individual raises in his thinking pattern as he explores other perspectives and ideas and may also conclude that there may be more than one approach to a particular idea. Thus, having a developed thinking pattern.