Philosophy Should Be a Core Part of Education at All Levels

Hitler wrote about this in Mein Kampf. I don’t say this to demean the idea, because I really believe it is key and he was spot on about it. We learn all sorts of things in school, but we never learn how to effictively learn. That’s why the game, “Are you smarter than a 3rd grader” is so damn hard for most Americans. We spend a lot of time learning facts that we don’t retain. This problem is well documented and well known. There is a good amount of research going in to this too. The problem is implemenation and the resistance of long time educators to change. Currently in schools we are trained specifically to have short term memory. For example, we learn the preamble so that on Friday we can recite it and get an A…and then we forget it. This is basically wasted time for the student and teacher. Both may as well have been doing something more constructive like playing games or something that jogs the brain.

We the people in order to form a more perfect union establish justice ensure domestic tranquility provide for the common defense promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America.

I didn’t learn this for a test. I learned it from the BRILLIANT Schoolhouse Rock song. Many my age KNOW the preamble and learned it in this way. If there are errors – it is because I learned it more than 30 years ago. If there are NO errors, it’s because I REALLY learned it. (Side note: When my AP history teacher in high school told us we’d need to learn the preamble, we ALL sang it to him on the spot. He was almost in tears.) There are MANY ways to learn. But, CLEARLY, learning for an exam is NOT the right way! (What’s the point?)

I 100% agree with you.

I’m starting my senior year of highschool this next week and for the last few years I’ve been fairly frustrated at what we’re being required to learn, and the vast amount of knowledge we’re not even being offered.

I luckily stumbled into philosophy and logic while reading a few papers a few years back. But for all of the kids who don’t have access, or don’t know how to find knowledge on the internet, they’re pretty much screwed.

But Instead of being offered a class like philosophy, or a critical thinking/logic class, I’m forced to fill my schedule with pointless classes like powerpoint.

But we all know powerpoint is an important life skill that we can’t live without… right?!?

Exactly, Jake. They’re teaching us the utterly inconsequential stuff and not giving us anything of substance. Powerpoint is a big joke; it’s not even “new” media anymore. It was cool 7 years ago.

Well, keep seeking out those who are also seeking and you’ll be ok. The content is out there; we just have to stay motivated to attain it.

Cheers,

-Daniel