Strategy of Literacy and Art Education in Creating Critical Thinking in West Sumatra

The problem of uncritical thinking in society when receiving information in the digital age is now worrying. The mass circulating information flow has created a separate reality from the real world. The negative impacts of less critical of society can be seen from various things, such as: the spread of fear and terror, deceived by the piety, and the insensitivity of a group to people towards different views from theirs. To create a critical society needs to begin by incorporating the teaching of sharpening emotions and reasoning power through literary and art. Teaching quality literary works can give people the space to reflect, enrich the perspective of different people without changing their identity. How far is the role of literature and art in creating critical society? What would be the impact if implemented into a homogeneous community group such as in West Sumatra? The presumption that local traditions are true has proven to inhibit tolerant attitudes within the community at the local level. This is qualitative research by using the argument from Martha C. Nussbaum who sees that emotion is very important in giving moral decisions which contained in the expression of citizen’s choice. The use of critical thinking should be trained in a structured education.