US Students are Deprived of Philosophy

Dr. Alice C. Linsley

Before I retired, I taught Philosophy at the university and high school levels for 14 years. Some of my former students have gone on to become philosophy majors and philosophy teachers. It is gratifying that some stay in contact with me. They tell me that my approach to teaching philosophy is unique and that they wish others would employ a similar method of engaging students with the great minds of history.

I love Philosophy because it is the single discipline in which we may discuss everything. We are given permission to question everything, to test the validity of ideas, and to learn to think more deeply.

My philosophy students are asked to consider questions. What is real? How do we know? Is there objective truth? Is it possible to know the true nature of something? What can be known? What are the limits of human understanding? Does innate knowledge exist? Is it possible to understand natural phenomena solely on the basis of observation and the senses? What trajectories of thought can be traced through history?

Today is World Philosophy Day, established by UNESCO on the third Thursday of November, to remind us of the enduring value of philosophy for the development of human thought.

Philosophers think critically about questions that matter. In doing so, they serve an important role in society. They challenge us to reason well and to consider what questions ultimately matter. Unfortunately, the work of philosophers rarely filters down from the ivory towers of Academia to the schools where students most need to learn to think critically, to argue logically, and to openly discuss what matters.

Critical thinking skills are so lacking in the USA that many colleges and universities have found it necessary to require instruction in Critical Thinking. I taught such a course for several years at a women's college and apart from the tendency of the course designers to indoctrinate in political correctness, it was a helpful course. That said, probably a course in basic logic and reading comprehension would have been more beneficial to the students.

The study of Philosophy is required for graduation from most secondary schools in Europe. In France secondary students may opt to take the Bac Litteraire - the Literature Baccalaureat, which includes a strong philosophy curriculum. It is an alternative to the more science-biased versions of the Baccalaureat. Both tracks include an element of philosophy, but in the Bac Litteraire, Philosophy is king.

The study of Philosophy is popular among German students. It is taught in high schools (Gymnasia) so many who choose to study it later already have a strong foundation. According to this report in The Chronicle of Higher Education, the enrollments in Philosophy courses at Tübingen increased by nearly one-third, to 1,600, over a three-year period. The philosophy departments at Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg and Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, now have limits on enrollments in Philosophy classes.

Sadly, Philosophy is not taught in American public schools. When I attempted to introduce high school students to Philosophy by offering it as an elective, the principal of the public school declined the offer. He was concerned that irate parents would complain that the school was teaching atheism or Christian ideas. He could not fathom the possibility of positive engagement with ideas held by both atheists and Christians. He did allow me to offer an after-school Philosophy Club.

Undaunted, a few years later I asked to teach Philosophy at a private Christian school and found very responsive students. That school actually allowed greater leeway than the university where I taught and the public school.

Michael Shammas wrote in this essay that American society has become dysfunctional because we have forgotten how to think. He says, "Our Congress is useless, our institutions inept... Anger is everywhere; understanding is nowhere... We assail our political enemies with intractable opinions and self-righteous anger. An ugly bitterness pervades everything. Meanwhile, our country is slowly but surely committing suicide.

It seems to me that this dysfunctional political dialogue, which stems from the iron certainty we grant our opinions, is the most pressing problem confronting 21st century America. In fact, it is a crisis. For without the ability to carry on a useful dialogue, we cannot solve our greatest challenges, or even our smallest ones.

This raises the question: How can we solve this crisis? Because the capacity to debate requires the capacity to think, I believe the answer lies in philosophy.

Why philosophy? Because the study of philosophy, the “love of wisdom,” creates and nurtures thoughtful minds, minds that can — as Aristotle suggests — entertain a thought without accepting it."

Related reading: Why I Love Philosophy; Ontology and the Philosophical Project; Theories of Knowledge - Bacon and Descartes; Teaching primary school children philosophy improves English and maths skills, says study | The Independent; St. Paul's Application of Greek Philosophy; Four Women Revived Metaphysics; Advice to Christian Philosophers - The London Lyceum