Philosophy Course Research Articles

To the Discussion on Academic Philosophy: What, How, and What for

The article discusses how to implement common cultural competencies in the course of teaching philosophy. The authors believe that the optimal content of the course is the history of philosophy, which, when being creatively taught, can become a school of critical thinking and education and give direction to those who are trying to consciously shape their world view and educate their mind. The historical-philosophical approach organically incorporates the problematic one, makes it possible to discuss current issues of the day, based on classical examples of the philosophical culture. Some techniques for the development of cognitive skills that correspond to the strategies of liberal education are considered. The authors draw attention to the benefits of the work of a student with a philosophical text, the need for the development of written and oral speech, organically associated with the development of thinking. In the conditions of increasing bureaucratic regulation of the educational process and limited time, it is important to preserve the space of academic freedom, to build teaching taking into account the individual-personal contact with this or that audience. University philosophy is regarded as a valuable experience in overcoming the limitations of everyday consciousness, it seems to be a source of ideas that provides support in a situation of epistemological uncertainty and value relativism. The article covers both philosophical and theoretical, and applied aspects of the problem of teaching philosophy in higher education institution.

Aula de Filosofia e processos de subjetivação por meio de narrativas: a figura do professor e a produção do documentário ‘O Homem das Mil Vozes’

Este artigo tem por objetivo demonstrar os processos de subjetivação em jovens e adolescentes quando da atuação conjunta da filosofia com a sensibilização estética. Estes processos devem constituir boa parte da formação docente. Para tanto, cabe investigar como se dão tais processos e de que maneira o professor pode conduzi-los, ainda que no espaço restrito da matriz curricular. Com a finalidade de demonstrarmos a relevância da filosofia para os processos de subjetivação, realizamos um documentário na E.E Jácomo Stávale, escola da rede pública, sediada na zona norte da cidade São Paulo. Quando esses jovens vivenciam um ensino de qualidade, com práticas docentes que possibilitam uma experiência de sensibilidade estética, estes fatos potencializam uma conexão com o aprendizado, se livrando das determinações vigentes e alcançando uma autonomia do pensamento. O documentário, resultado da práxis docente, não deixa de ser uma produção estética que permite avaliar à luz das análises discursivas os processos de subjetivação em questão. Neste artigo vamos abordar a importância de um bom professor de filosofia, a experiência do PIBID/FILOSOFIA/CAPES na E.E Jácomo Stávale, a produção do documentário e nossas perspectivas com relação à educação.

Improving Critical Reading with E-Texts: A Controlled Study in a Collegiate Philosophy Course

This project investigated the impact of incorporating e-reader texts and annotation tools in an upper level philosophy course. This project adds to the body of literature that assesses gains/losses in conventional measures of performance (e.g., scores on graded assignments) and changes in student attitudes as reported in questionnaires. However, this project was unique in that it focused on training students to use e-reader tools for critical reading practices and it included assessment of student annotations and their relationship with the performance measures. We tested the hypothesis that, with intentional training and a course-design that provided multiple opportunities for practice and feedback, students using e-readers for critical engagement with their reading assignments would demonstrate (a) deeper understanding of the content of the texts, (b) improvement in their use of critical reading practices, and (c) improvement in their attitudes toward the use of e-readers for academic work. While we did not observe significant gains in graded assignments compared with control groups using printed texts, we found no evidence of losses for students using e-readers. At the same time, we found evidence of improvement in students’ critical reading practices, especially when paired with modeling and practice throughout the term. We also observed significant positive changes in student attitudes toward the use of e-readers for academic work, compared with controls. Our findings suggest that achieving the benefits of e-readers for the development of critical reading skills requires a course with design elements that are specifically tailored to this purpose.

Teaching and learning philosophy in Ontario high schools

ABSTRACTPrimary objective: This study represents the first large-scale research on high school philosophy in a public education curriculum in North America. Our objective was to identify the impacts of high school philosophy, as well as the challenges of teaching it in its current format in Ontario high schools.Research design: The qualitative research design captured the perspectives of students and teachers with respect to philosophy at the high school level. All data collection was structured around central questions to provide insight into the dynamics of their shared process of teaching/learning.Methods and procedures: We conducted semi-structured with interviews philosophy teachers (n = 9), classroom observations (n = 142), and student focus groups at 16 diverse high schools. Transcripts were coded according to themes.Results: Our findings reflect the complicated nature of philosophy as a discipline characterized by abstract thinking. Participants found it mind-opening, yet challenging, providing educational opportunities that are largely absent in conventional schooling. They saw multiple connections between philosophy and other subjects, but also appreciated its distinctive benefits. Teachers relied primarily on textbooks and contemporary media to deliver the curriculum. We found that a teacher’s background in philosophy may influence what is taught in philosophy courses and how, especially given the flexibility of the provincial curriculum.Conclusions: The findings suggest that philosophy is a unique, beneficial subject that teachers enjoy teaching and students greatly value, characterizing it as both difficult and rewarding. Our study revealed that considerable differences exist in how philosophy is taught and learned around the province. The flexibility of the provincial curriculum appears to be an invitation for creative and responsive teaching; however, philosophy teachers’ weak preparation can, by their own admission, be a hindrance to effective curriculum delivery. Studying philosophy enhances students’ thinking about other academic areas of study and in some cases opens them up to new ways of thinking.

Modeling Metacognition and Providing Background Knowledge via Guided Reading Videos

This article addresses well-known and difficult problems involving reading comprehension and compliance in college courses, using a lower-level philosophy course as a case study. It draws upon both general and discipline-specific research in three promising areas for reading instruction: metacognition, modeling via “think-alouds,” and background knowledge. A process for combining all three in the use of guided reading videos (GRVs) is described. The results of an anonymous student survey on GRVs are reported and their use is discussed from an instructor’s perspective. Finally, potential advantages, additional applications, and worries concerning the use of GRVs are examined.

Are University Students Who Are Taking Philosophy Courses Familiar with the Basic Tools for Argument?

Philosophy courses help students develop logical reasoning and argument skills or so it is widely assumed. To test if this is actually the case, we examined university students’ familiarity with the basic tools for argument. Our findings, based on a sample of 651 students enrolled in philosophy courses at six Greek universities, indicate that students who have prior experience with philosophy are more familiar with the basic tools for argument, and that students who have taken philosophy courses at the university have stronger argument-recognition and argument-evaluation skills compared to university students with no prior experience with philosophy. Moreover, our findings suggest that students get more familiar with the basic tools for argument as their level of engagement with philosophy increases, and that they get significantly better at evaluating arguments when they become graduate students in philosophy. However, our findings also suggest that the majority of students in philosophy classrooms haven’t developed fluency in (at least some) basic argument-related concepts and skills. To remedy this, we argue that philosophy instructors need to re-think (a) the place that the teaching of argument has in philosophy courses, and (b) the way that they teach students about argument.

The Impact of Team Teaching on Student Attitudes and Classroom Performance in Introductory Philosophy Courses

Despite the growing interest in collaborative teaching in higher education, there is a paucity of research on its use and effectiveness in phi­losophy curricula. The research that does exist focuses almost exclusively on interdisciplinary collaboration or student and faculty attitudes regarding the practice. This paper aims to address these gaps by describing a semester long, multi-section study designed to assess the impact of team teaching on student classroom performance and related variables in an Introduction to Philosophy course. The results of the study show that students overwhelm­ingly prefer team teaching to individual instruction and think that it positively impacts their learning and classroom experience. However, the results also show that there is no statistically significant relationship between delivery method and students’ classroom performance. The paper concludes with a discussion of some limitations with the research design and the potential benefits and challenges of implementing team teaching within introductory philosophy courses.

Classification of Strategies for Dealing with Student Relativism and the Epistemic Conceptual Change Strategy

Student relativism is a widespread phenomenon in introductory philosophy courses. It is a pressing issue for teachers because it seems to undermine the very purpose of philosophy. Since the 1980s there is a debate about how to understand and how to deal with student relativism. However, there is as yet no comprehensive presentation of the debate. The first aim of the article is to offer a classification of the strategies for dealing with student relativism and a presentation and short assessment of the main strategies from the debate. The second aim is to present a new strategy based on the theory of conceptual change and drawing on the results from empirical research in developmental psychology on epistemic cognition. I call it the epistemic conceptual change strategy.

Cross-Year Peer Mentorship in Introductory Philosophy Classes

Philosophical writing is challenging for students new to philosophy. Many philosophy classes are populated, for the most part, by students who have never taken philosophy before. While many institutions offer general writing support services, these services tend to be most beneficial for helping to identify problems with style and grammar. They are not equipped to help students with the particular challenges that come with writing philosophy for the first time. We implemented the Home Base Mentoring Program in two introductory-level philosophy courses to target the specific challenges that novice learners have when learning how to write philosophy. Through the program, students had access to writing mentors who were undergraduate senior philosophy majors. Based on surveys given to the students who have participated in this program, we found that the program boosted student confidence in writing and also worked to develop a welcoming, judgment-free, and encouraging environment in the philosophy department more generally.

Beyond Information Recall

Multiple-choice questions have an undeserved reputation for only being able to test student recall of basic facts. In fact, well-crafted mechanically gradable questions can measure very sophisticated cognitive skills, including those engaged at the highest level of Benjamin Bloom’s taxonomy of outcomes. In this article, I argue that multiple-choice questions should be a part of the diversified assessment portfolio for most philosophy courses. I present three arguments broadly related to fairness. First, multiple-choice questions allow one to consolidate subjective decision making in a way that makes it easier to manage. Second, multiple-choice questions contribute to the diversity of an evaluation portfolio by balancing out problems with writing-based assessments. Third, by increasing the diversity of evaluations, multiple-choice questions increase the inclusiveness of the course. In the course of this argument, I provide examples of multiple-choice questions that measure sophisticated learning and advice for how to write good multiple-choice questions.

Етико-правові ідеї в Києво-Могилянській академії XVIII ст.

The ethics in the lecture courses of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy was divided into theoretical and practical parts. The former dealt with the substantiation of a person's place in the world, considered problems of the meaning of life, free will, a degree of a person's responsibility for their actions. The latter pointed to ways and means to determine a destiny, achieve happiness, and developed education system according to the perception of a perfect person. Theophan Prokopovych, professor and rector of the Academy, considered a necessary condition for happiness to obtain a certain level of material well-being since poverty and deprivation are not compatible with happiness. He linked the achievements of this with conscientious work, which he considered to be a duty towards himself, his family, society, and the state. He recognized the benefit as the basis of work along with usefulness, which he considered to be close to virtue in terms of significance, thus giving her a positive moral evaluation. Achievement of happiness, according to Theophan Prokopovych, is possible if a person сomply with natural, moral, civil and God's laws. Natural law makes a person realize the need for work and determines they inclination to a certain kind of it. However, a person must understand what kind of work they are inclined to; this requires the study of their bodily and spiritual needs, that is, self-knowledge. Having known themselves and having discovered the ability for a certain type of labour in themselves, a person works for themselves, their family, society, state. Thus a person obeys moral and civil laws. Introduction to the philosophical course of the section of ethics, though not obligatory for all professors, was at that time necessitated by the desire to rethink the system of human relations in the new historical conditions of Ukraine of the first half of the eighteenth century. human. Ethics becomes an important tool for educating a new person, forming a free personality. Professors do not simply comment and promote moral standards accepted in Christian culture, but seek to study and analyze the authoritative ethical teachings of ancient and European thinkers, trying to give practical guidance on improving man and the moral regulation of society in his time. This tendency was significantly developed and improved by the student of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Grigory Skovoroda.

О некоторых философских источниках «мэонизма» Н. Минского (трактат «При свете совести: мысли и мечты о цели жизни»)

The article analyzes some sources of the philosophical concept of the founder of the religious and philosophical course of domestic symbolism – Nikolai M. Minsky (1855/1856–1937), author of the famous treatise „With the light of conscience: thoughts and dreams about the purpose of life” (1890). „Meonism” – so the author himself called his philosophical system, referring this name to Plato as one of the most important sources of his ontology. The problem of the philosophical genesis of „meonism” remained relevant at all stages of the study and comments on „With the light of conscience”. However, so far, the attention of reviewers and commentators has been focused mainly on representatives of European philosophy, A. Schopenhauer and I. Kant, but Plato and other antique philosophers, despite the direct indication of the author of the treatise, remained unstudied. The article fills this gap by introducing into the circle the philosophical sources of the treatise of the Minsky concepts of Plato and Plotin as the most representative for understanding the antique genesis of „meonism”. The article compares the interpretation of Minsky and ancient philosophers of such central categories as „meon”, “single”, „nothingness”, “anamnesis”, etc. Turning to the circle of European philosophy, the authors of the article, as a topical source of „meonism,” highlight a number of maxim philosophical teachings of F. Nietzsche as a figure who in many ways defined the vector of developing philosophy in Russia at the turn of the 19th – 20th centuries. In particular, there is a transformation in the philosophical thinking of Minsky of such category as „love for fate” („amor fati”), which in many ways defined the moral pathos „With the light of conscience”, the ideal of selfless attitude to sufferings and death.

Daniel Varoujan à l’Université de Gand (1905-1909)

Although works on Daniel Varoujan often refer to his years at Ghent University, there is to date no publication focusing specifically on his studies at Ghent. This is the first study to employ the archives of Ghent University as well as the archives of the city of Ghent, in addition to the archives in Yerevan, Armenia, to offer a detailed attention to Varoujan’s studies at the University. The city archives were used to identify his addresses of residence in Ghent. During his first semester at Ghent University in the fall of 1905, Varoujan audited courses in literature and philosophy, but upon formal matriculation beginning in January 1906 he changed his field to political economy and sociology but also took courses in history, psychology, and law. Varoujan concluded his studies at Ghent in 1909 and returned to his hometown Brgnik as a mature intellectual and a prolific poet deeply influenced by his education at Ghent University.

A Novel Program for Philosophers to Study Computer Science

Reports on college programs that offered philosophy students courses in computer education.

Pengaruh Model Pembelajaran dan Gaya Berpikir Terhadap Hasil Belajar Mata Kuliah Filsafat Pendidikan

This study aims at revealling the effect of instructional models and students thinking styles on the students learning outcomes of the educational philosophy course at the IAIN Palu. The research method used in this research was quasi experiment with a 2 x 2 factorial design, data were analyzed statistically using ANAVA. The result of research shows that 1) the students learning outcomes who learned through deep learning model is higher than the students who learned through surface learning; 2) there is an interaction effect between instructional model with thinking style on the learning outcomes of educational philosophy course; 3) student learning outcomes using deep learning model and have divergent thinking style is higher than student learning outcomes that have convergent thinking style; 4) student learning outcomes using surface learning model and have the convergent thinking style is higher than student learning outcomes that have divergent thinking style.

Вчення про нескінченність у могилянських філософських курсах (XVII–XVIIІ ст.): до постановки проблеми

The article analyses the explication of the infinity in the philosophical courses taught at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy at the 17th and 18th centuries. It examines 12 philosophical courses – since 1645 (the course by Inokentii Gizel) until 1751 (the course by Georgii Konyskyi). It shows how the infinity was defined and in which kinds it was divided in different courses. In general, all the professors, as well as other scholastic philosophers, agree that categorematic infinity exists only in God, but syncategorematic is present in the created world. Regarding the question whether God, being omnipotent, can create a categorematic infinity in the world, the Mogilyans are divided into several camps: (1) Inokentii Gizel, Stefan Yavorskyi, Inokentii Popovskyi, Sylvestr Pinovskyi, Platon Malynovskyi gave a positive answer to the question; (2) Yosyf Volchanskyi, Ilarion Levytskyi, Amvrosii Dubnevych, Sylvestr Kulabka believed that this kind of infinity is in principle impossible, hence God cannot create it; (3) Teofan Prokopovych and Georgii Konyskyi took a sceptical stand and consider that the human mind as such could not solve this problem. The article analyses which arguments were offered by each camp, and gives suggestions what influenced the position of certain Mohylian professors. Most probably, Mohylian philosophers who supported the possibility of actual infinity in the created world were influenced by nominalistically oriented Jesuit philosophers, like Pedro Hurtando de Mendoza and Rodrigo Arriaga. The other Mohylians backed a more traditional idea, supported by Thomas Aquinas, that only one actual infinity can exist and it is God.

Порівняльний аналіз вчень Теофана Прокоповича й Ґеорґія Кониського про душу

The article compares selected chapters devoted the problems of mind (anima) from two philosophical courses by Georgii Konyskyi, taught at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in 1747-1749 and 1749-1751 academic years. As Konyskyi taught his first course using verbatim Teofan Prokopovych’s philosophical course of 1706-08 academic years, the article compares the doctrines on mind by these two Mohylian authors. It also shows the evolution of Konyskyi’s views. There are common elements between the philosophy of mind of Prokopovych and Konyskyi: their interpretations of Aristotle’s definition of the soul; the scholastic concept of the man as an integral mind-body entity; the problem of the unity and multiplicity of forms. It is shown that Prokopovych and Konsyskyi understood the three-level structure of a human soul in the same way as Francisco Suarez and Rodrigo de Arriaga. However, there are some differences between these two Mohylian professors. They interpreted differently sensitive and intellectual cognition. Prokopovych upholds the scholastic doctrine of species. Konyskyi, in his second course, abandons this doctrine and defends the doctrine of impressiones. They are developed by the phantasmata – not received from objects. The impressions are modifications of animal spirits by direct or indirect impact of objects on senses of a human being or any other animated being. In the doctrine on intellectual powers, Prokopovych upholds the scholastic distinction between active and passive intellect. Konyskyirejects this common for scholastic tradition distinction and considers that passive intellect can do full-scale intellectual activity. The influence of Early Modern philosophy, especially Cartesianism, was the reason why Konyskyi changed his position.

La significación humana y el todo. Lecturas y filiaciones teológicas en Freud y Lacan

The question of human significance and the whole knew a philosophical course so vast that it did not exempt even "atheist" thinkers, like the historical materialists or the parents of psychoanalysis. Although their objectives were different, the genealogy of their readings and their respective intellectual debts allow us to locate within the theological framework many aspects of their theoretical practice. For this reason, the following article will be the first of some works aimed at identifying the influence of religion and theology on authors linked to the eminently secular thought of the twentieth century. From this same perspective, we seek to locate the question for the One and for the All at the center of dialectical philosophy, for which we take as an excuse the book "Grace and desire. San Agustin, Pascal, Lacan" by Sara Vassallo.

Desain Kurikulum IAIN Lhokseumawe (Studi Analisis Mata Kuliah: Filsafat Manajemen Jurusan Manajemen Pendidikan Islam)

Education problems are very complex because the manager doesn't understand about philosophy brings about the fault in managing educational institutions. Therefore, need a new design curriculum that makes students understand and wisely responded to knowledge have learned. This study aims to the curriculum development of the Islamic Education Management Department at the IAIN Faculty of Teacher Training and Education Lhokseumawe as a form of KKNI curriculum implementation. Accordingly, the importance of philosophy in-depth study through the management philosophy course. By using the qualitative research the data was collected using observation and interview. This study finds that management philosophy provided an understanding of the positive relationship between trust and practice. Management practices based on trust in religious values are the most effective and entrenched. Through a comprehensive understanding of philosophical thinking with management practices able to create harmonization of work and increase ukhuwah between individuals in an educational organization. Competence in constructing thinking becomes a concrete thing that is practiced in managerial patterns can be done with the following stages (1) problem identification; (2) internalizing Islamic values in decision making; (3) implementation of management with a philosophical approach to societal orientation; and (4) competency development faces future challenges.

Factors Driving the Omani Family to Travel Abroad: A Field Study

In recent years, the family in the Arab and Gulf countries has experienced many structural changes because of various transformations that have contributed to changing some of its functions. The modern Omani family has witnessed some radical changes in its structure consistent with the recent developments in the Sultanate. These changes occurred in various economic, social, political and cultural fields, which led to the spread of some modern phenomena, including the phenomenon of travelling abroad. According to the latest statistics issued by the National Center for Statistics and Information in the Sultanate of Oman, there is an increase in the number of Omanis departing from the Sultanate, which accounted for 77.7% of the total departures from the Sultanate during August 2017. There are many social, economic, cultural, health, and other factors that drive families to travel abroad. While imitation and simulation of relatives or peers are behind travelling abroad, others see it as means to gain a high social status or as an opportunity to strengthen social relations between family members. Of course, for many others the main driving factor is seeking medical checkup and treatment. Thus, the research problem focuses on identifying the factors that drive the Omani family to travel outside the Sultanate. The researchers relied on the analytical descriptive method using a comprehensive social survey. The research instrument was administered among parents (fathers or mothers) of third year students majoring in sociology or social work, as well as students registered in the college required philosophy course for the fall semester of 2017.The study found that there are many social, economic, cultural and health factors that drive Omani families to travel abroad. It also provided suggestions, along with some mechanisms that are useful in rationalizing the travel of Omani families abroad.