Re: MD Do we all need philosophy

From: MATTHEW PAUL KUNDERT (mpkundert@students.wisc.edu)
Date: Fri Jan 30 2004 - 23:21:01 GMT

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    David,

    David said:
    Matt recently suggested that he would not particularly like to see everyone become more philosophically sophisticiated.

    Matt:
    I'd like to see the documentation on this one. This is a common misunderstanding of what I've said about this particular topic and I doubt I said I wouldn't like everyone to "become more philosophically sophisticated."

    I would love everyone to become more philosophically sophisticated. I would love for more people to understand what I talk about. It's the kind of desire people have when they read a good book and want all of their friends to read it so they can all talk about it. What I've said about philosophy is that I don't think there is anything special about studying philosophy for picking up critical thinking skills. As such, I don't think we _need_ to teach philosophy. The only sense in which I think we need to teach philosophy is the sense that I think schools have a responsibility to throw as many different kinds of books at students to get them turned on to something. It would be a shame if nobody knew who Plato was, but it would be an even bigger shame if Plato was never taught and so a person who might fall in love with Plato never got the chance.

    I think these things because I see philosophy and "examining the big questions" as purely private acts, in the sense of doing it on the weekends. If people don't want to examine the "big questions," as a good American, I don't think they should have to. Do _I_ think they are missing out on something? Possibly, and it might be something that would help them. I know if I didn't read and think about philosophy I would be missing something, but I think it is a common mistaken assumption to think that because it is true for you it must be true for everybody. Philosophy has helped me, but I don't think it will _necessarily_ help everbody.

    Matt

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