Non-Academic Philosophy
As a community college philosophy teacher, I know that my focus is not on creating future philosophy professors, but on teaching the typical citizen how to incorporate philosophical thinking into his/her everyday life. I love doing philosophy and reading about the classical philosophers for its own sake. But unless it is useful , I believe I cannot justify its role in a community college as a required elective. To that end, this page is dedicated to articles that discuss philosophical thinking in non-academic roles.
“The Examined Life, Age 8.” Discusses philosophical thinking for kids. NY Times.
“The Management Myth.” One person’s perspective on how a philosophy degree is better preparation for management positions than an MBA. The Atlantic Monthly.
“Teaching the Humanities,” by Martha Nussbaum, argues that the humanities, particularly philosophy, play a vital role in democracy.
These are just a few articles I have seen most recently, and I don’t have time at the moment to go searching. But I’m certain I’ve seen others in the past. If you have any tips, please post them and I’ll review them.
The Management Myth was a great article! I am going to post it on facebook.
Jose
I really enjoyed the article on children and philosophy. Children are very open with their questions. As adults, we are more careful in what we ask, and sometimes I feel that it damages us. Maybe if it is encouraged at a young age, the desire to question won’t be lost.
Thanks for posting the articles.