Philosophic Enquiry basically began (in Western Civilization) with Socrates, Plato and Aristotle

So, in some ways all the sciences (in western civilization) began with Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. It's true their students carried this forward in time like Plato first did because Socrates didn't write about anything at the time. (Not sure why). However, Plato made up for it as one of Socrates' students over time. So, our records of Socrates and his ideas mostly come from Plato down to the present day.

For me, personally, my father taught me to debate him starting at age 8. Though he didn't talk about Socrates to me that I can remember other friends in church did who were definitely going to college and this also influenced me along with my cousin who became a lawyer on scholarships to USC and NYU Law School this influenced me into going to college as well. However, if I hadn't gone to a private school my last year of high school where I felt safe because I was the biggest strongest person there I might not have chosen to go to college even though all my senior class mates at this school likely were going to college as I graduated in May of 1966 in Santa Fe.

So, as time went on I began to see how science became a real thing starting with Greek Philosophers which began to pull people out of rumors and old wives tales which were basically children's stories not necessarily based upon any real facts at all.

I found myself drawn to science experiments always in school too. Especially I liked Electrolysis of Water into Hydrogen and Oxygen using a battery with electrodes into the water. However, you then had to worry about the hydrogen and oxygen because both of these things can be dangerous under some circumstances. For example, Oxygen is the basis of fire burning in extremely quick Oxidization which is fire.

Then you have Hydrogen which is extremely explosive and basically why the Hindenburg lighter than air craft caught fire and blew up killing all those people because it didn't use helium it used hydrogen. After that people stopped using hydrogen for blimps for example.

Anyway, the Sciences all began with Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. and then later on you have people like Francis Bacon in England who developed the Scientific Method which breaks everything down into:

Hypotheses

Theories 

Laws

I have always found the scientific method useful to put all things through this filter of hypotheses theories and laws in order to make sense of the world around me in ways that I actually found useful to my survival and to the survival of everyone around me.

So, Critical thinking (survival thought) is important to people learning to survive without believing things that might get them killed outright or by accident.

And for me, the Scientific Method helps filter out things that might get you killed whether they are physical, mental or spiritual in nature.

By God's Grace