Is philosophy to be introduced to schools?

311

Heard lately that philosophy is maybe to be added to the school cirriculum.
What would the major benefits be ?

Chillwithcian

_Brian_ wrote:

Heard lately that philosophy is maybe to be added to the school cirriculum.
What would the major benefits be ?

Its bieng thought in many schools already, our school introduced it about 6 years ago

Ephemeral888

What? The whole point of school is philosophical. Science, mathematics these branches all stem from philosophy.

Philosophy should be a core feature of the curriculum in every school, as it is most fundamental. The benefits include, enhanced rational and logical capabilities, critical thinking, debate, and actually knowing why you believe something. (Also, an increased level of maturity comes with philosophy).

Spectator#1

I think it's a great idea. It should be a choice subject though if it's exam based, like history or geography. I don't think I would have benefited that much from it when I was in school but I know that some people would have, a lot of school aged people wouldn't have the inclination or the capacities for it, not all of them, but a lot. If a handful of them got anything out of it, it'd be worthwhile.

philologos

its integrated into the Religion Leaving Cert course to a great extent, this year (5th) I've learned more about philosophy and humanism than organised religion. (Greek philosophy, Socrates, Aristotle, Plato, the Sophists, and Nietzche, Descarte, (some Christian philosophy) St Thomas Aquinas, St Augustine of Hippo, and (humanist) Erasmus, Albert Camus, Karl Marx etc)

Valmont

Spectator#1 wrote:

I think it's a great idea. It should be a choice subject though if it's exam based, like history or geography. I don't think I would have benefited that much from it when I was in school but I know that some people would have, a lot of school aged people wouldn't have the inclination or the capacities for it, not all of them, but a lot. If a handful of them got anything out of it, it'd be worthwhile.

Spot on there, the students interested in it would greatly benefit. I took a during break time philosophy class in school that a teacher did for any that was interested. Completely influenced my college choices and I really enjoyed it.

Overheal

I think it should be introduced.

However, due to the nature of philosophy, you will end up talking about God.
Any religiously unstable region would reject this idea. Even in GB, you can expect the Muslim community would object eventually.

Seloth

I know that they are doing this In Scotland for Primary schools.

nickcave

Overheal wrote:

I think it should be introduced.

However, due to the nature of philosophy, you will end up talking about God.
Any religiously unstable region would reject this idea. Even in GB, you can expect the Muslim community would object eventually.

Talking about God isn't offensive to Muslims any more than it is to an atheist. Also, modern philosophers need to look at old texts for what they achieved in principle, and not for what their particular social condition made them say. For example, Descartes supposed that their was a God of some sort. That argument is just as relevant to a Muslim as it is to us. Much philosophical texts are overtly sexist, by talking about matters only from the point of view of men, and only relevant to men, again because of social situation. That doesn't mean we shield women from what conclusions they came to.

It's actually interesting while reading a text to see which philosophers were genuinely sexists or Christian chauvinists, and which were just playing along with what they had to do against what they believed. The Religion chapter of Leviathan reads almost as a disclaimer.

This isn't to say that no Muslim (or other) would complain; I'm sure some would, but philosophy is a challenge for one thing, and if you can't even bring yourself to question the dogmatic "truths" you've been brought up on, then maybe Philosophy isn't for you anyway. If you can, the end will be either a refutation (and more "My son went to Philosophy class and now he won't eat his porridge" cries from the PC crowd) of those beliefs, or an even stronger belief based on a logical process.

So I think Philosophy should be introduced to those interested in it.

edit: in fact the Christian God and the Muslim Allah are historically the same "entity".

Seloth

It would be odd on the leaving Cert,

Express your views on life.


People get up,Work for a economy which can survive with out them,Spread the seed,Sleep.

nickcave

^ backed up with a determinist's argument and homages to cynicism, you'd get a pretty good mark.