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The illiterate weren't able to communicate outside of their immediate vicinity. They simply weren't part of the conversation

Illiterate couldn't read, but not necessarily didn't have critical thinking skills.

And how would they tell anyone not right next to them what they thought? Word of mouth certainly isn't an answer, ever played telephone?

Critical thinking does not depend on sharing those thoughts. Not sharing a thought does not make it less critical and vice versa.

Let alone that with your train of thought critical thinking must have not existed before literacy became a thing.