Should Philosophy be part of Public Education?

[sayak83]

I don't think you realize how terrible the American education system is, and how short we sell our youth already. They could use an increase in course work. Of course, they could also use a competent education system not managed by evangelicals. It's so bad, I remember reading an article some time ago that suggested the majority of American teachers do not understand the basics of evolution they are supposed to be teaching.

That is probably true. I don't know enough about the course work in US schools to comment. I expect schools would be terrible in poorer districts and private schools for the richer communities to be great quality. It's unfortunately the case everywhere in the world.
One thing I do know is that the college entrance/scholarship exams are not as hard as they ought to be. Too many students get very high scores, and it becomes more of a lottery about one or two percentage points and extracurricular factors.

 

[Valjean]

No I couldn't. For one thing, science, mathematics, and history classes are pretty much extensions of previous exposures to these subjects. For another, philosophy deals almost entirely in non-tangible subjects such as mental representations involving propositions, inferences, and conceptual analysis. Stuff that's very unfamiliar to the new student.

Personally, I had very little exposure to science, maths or history when I entered school. The precepts of disciplines like science or mathematics can be just as abstract as those of philosophy.

I think teaching children how to think and reason is a good thing. The rudiments of reason are no more abstract or incomprehensible than the rudiments of mathematics.

And unfortunately not enough of this non-vocational training is sinking in.

These are ignorant people. Presumably, they'd had history classes in school, but it failed them. I think that's an indictment more of our schools than of their core curricula. Should we delete history from the curriculum just because these dolts failed to master it?

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[Skwim]

Personally, I had very little exposure to science, maths or history when I entered school. The precepts of disciplines like science or mathematics can be just as abstract as those of philosophy.

Don't know what you're referring to by "precepts," but I'm pretty sure I'd disagree.

I think teaching children how to think and reason is a good thing.

I agree, which is why I said, "one branch of it (philosophy), informal logic and perhaps a bit of introductory formal logic would be good subjects to go in to." Critical thinking is a subject long overdue in our schools.

These are ignorant people. Presumably, they'd had history classes in school, but it failed them. I think that's an indictment more of our schools than of their core curricula.

Yup. And is why I said, "unfortunately not enough of this non-vocational training is sinking in."

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[Twilight Hue]

Do you feel they've ever departed from these 'fundamentals'?

Givin the sorry state that the educational system is in, it sure seems like it.

 

[dfnj]

Given the concerns often voiced that modern schools only teach children to be consumers and obey authority- isn't this a good reason for having Philosophy as part of education again? The schools of Philosophy kids would learn about would be enough to get any mind to thinking.

Absolutely not! K-12 education is decided mostly by school boards in Texas. The people on those school boards are God fearing Christians and should be the only ones who decide what is important in this country.

There's a great philosophical idea I once read: To get what you want then want what you have!

 

[Stanyon]

They should be familiarized with different philosophies and encouraged to explore different ones on their own but never as part of a standard curriculum as it would necessarily promote certain philosophies over others and ignore many more.

 

[Valjean]

They should be familiarized with different philosophies and encouraged to explore different ones on their own but never as part of a standard curriculum as it would necessarily promote certain philosophies over others and ignore many more.

You don't think philosophy would encourage religious individualism, as people learn to think for themselves? Philosophy teaches how to think; the mathematics of reason. It teaches people to question -- everything.

 

[Buddha Dharma]

They should be familiarized with different philosophies and encouraged to explore different ones on their own but never as part of a standard curriculum as it would necessarily promote certain philosophies over others and ignore many more.

Curious why you think that when philosophy is part of a classical western education? I don't see that taking it out of the schools has benefited American society very well. As others have said- philosophy teaches you to think and question. It doesn't matter which schools are introduced as long as they vary and people learn how to employ logic and thinking to accept or reject premises.

 

[Stanyon]

You don't think philosophy would encourage religious individualism, as people learn to think for themselves? Philosophy teaches how to think; the mathematics of reason. It teaches people to question -- everything.

Perhaps you need to read my post a little more closely, there are many philosophies and students should be made aware of them and encouraged to explore the many schools thought but in end the most important thing is that they need to come to their own conclusions.

 

[Mister Emu]

I think courses on logic and ethics should be mandatory in high school at least, if not earlier.