Why Philosophy Isn't Taught In Schools

#philosophy  #education  #teaching  #thinking  

Key Takeaways

  • The reasoning behind withholding Philosophy from School curriculums is clear. Teachers want to maintain control and a rigid structure in the classroom, and Philosophy could be detrimental to that.
  • The choice between Philosophy and Anarchy is a false dichotomy. There’s a middle ground — and by being mindful, we can study Philosophy without subordinating or oppressing certain social groups.
  • Philosophy is worthwhile — rather than encouraging you to take what your told, or your senses and thoughts as a given — it invites you to think for yourself. And both in the real world and the world of work, this is incredibly favourable.
  • “The unexamined life is not worth living” — Socrates
  • At primary school, big questions were ignored. They were labelled nonsensical and child-like curiosities. They were categorised as make believe given no more force than questions about a favourite fictional TV character, or imaginary friends.
  • It turns out we were asking some of the biggest questions life has left unanswered.
  • "The first duty of a man is to think for himself" ― Jose Marti
  • In an interview with The Panpsycast, Professor Stephen Mumford argued that:
  • “Philosophy has a low floor, but a high ceiling.”
  • By this, he meant that anybody can engage in and study Philosophy. Anyone can sit and think about the meaning and nature of reality — even if only at a child-like level.
  • Whether you’re a 6-year-old at primary school, or a wise, well-lived adult. From time to time, we all sit and wonder:
  • Whether you’re aware of it or not: you have studied Philosophy.
  • And, as Mumford pointed out: these questions have endless possibilities. For centuries, they have been argued & disputed by some of the most influential thinkers the world has ever seen.
  • And these ventures provide endless value. In short, they reveal what the true meaning of reality is, and what’s important. It can encourage a shift in value, and help people live each day to its fullest
  • So why isn’t it taught in schools?

Why is The Value of Philosophy Overlooked?

  • Despite its value, there are a few reasons why Philosophy isn’t taught in Academia.

Truth at Any Cost.

  • A lot of influential Philosophers begin their enquiry aiming at one key thing:
  • They want to discover truth. Whatever the topic of discussion, Philosophy is known to have a truth at any cost attitude. And they will do anything and everything in their power to the bottom of the matter — whatever it takes.
  • Of course, this is problematic because these enquires are often detrimental to the people around them. To name some examples —
    • Philosophers who (in my opinion rather falsely) argue Trans-Women shouldn’t be classed as Women, play a role in the subordination of this already oppressed group.
    • Peter Singer’s claim that Paedophilia could, at least in theory, be morally permissible, caused upset and distress for victims of Paedophilia.
  • Schools are supposed to be a safe space. Here in 2020, education systems care less about truth, and more about quality of life, inclusion and safeguarding.
  • It’s clear, then, that these radical Philosophical enquiries don’t have a home in the classroom — because they permit subordination and bullying, whenever doing so is necessary for finding truth.

Revolution

  • According to Ask Philosophy, the subject is avoided in schools because it encourages revolution.
  • Schools, and the 9–5-day jobs they lead into, are incredibly rigid. They encourage you to do so as your told, follow rules, and take what you are told by your teacher as fact.
  • Philosophy is detrimental to this structure.
  • It asks that you question the validity of everything — from what you’re told, to the social structures you’re living in. [[Philosopher's Toolkit]]
  • Schools want to maintain order and structure — it’s for this reason that following rules is rewarded, and philosophically questioning them is typically punished.

The Life Skills Schools Should Teach

  • It's a false dichotomy so far. We don’t have to choose between studying Philosophy or anarchy and revolution. There’s a middle ground, and this is one that schools teaching Philosophy adopt.
  • These schools ascribe rules to Philosophy in the classroom. They have discussions which purse truth — whilst also maintaining restrictions, rules and boundaries, so as not to offend or oppress.

  • Unique Standpoints

    • Children, especially young children, believe the world revolves around them. But Philosophy can teach them that every person carries with them a unique standpoint: each and every one of us is a conscious being who has experienced things in a unique way, carrying with us different truths.
    • When you’re searching for truth, everybody's standpoint should be given equal weight — because it could be what holds the key to the objective truth.
    • This is comparable to a courtroom: we have to give each witnesses voice equal weight, because each has a unique perspective and could be critical in finding out what happened during a crime.
    • Philosophy, then, teaches us to sit, listen, and attribute value to other people’s experiences and lives.

It Teaches What Google Can’t

  • Philosophy rewards critical thinking. Rather than accepting everything we’re told, it wants us to think for ourselves. And, in the 21st century, this is incredibly favourable: both in the world of work, and your everyday life.
  • It gives the critical skills to logically think and make decisions independently of any help or prior knowledge.
  • According to The Guardian, these are skills very few people have. In fact, most people don’t critically think — they just look up any questions they have on Google, and accept the answer they’re given. Philosophy, on the other hand, can teach you what Google can’t.
  • When you have your Philosophy hat on, you’ll begin to question the credibility of almost everything and anything. And this will enable you the ability to produce answers from within, making up your own mind — rather than being reliant on something that might not even be truthful.
  • This is a very desirable skill in the world of work. After all, nobody wants a mindless robot who just does and accepts what he’s told.