The motivation centers around capitalism. Critical thinkers aren’t going to reach for their wallet every time they see a stupid advertisement featuring dancing penguins. As a bonus to the corporatocracy, the brain dead electorate with no critical thinking skills vote for the people who will make their life worse.

Tbh considering how it is a method, not a subject really, I think it is indirectly taught in so many subjects: math, literature, philosophy, biology, physics and more.

I really don’t see the point of teaching it as a standalone subject, although I would be curious to see how that works.