---as accurately as possible? A corollary Q: Are enough people, knowledgeable in the subjects of philosophy, around doing their best to do this? Please be respectful, courteous and constructive in your statements.
2007-10-19 22:01:18 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
*duty = Intellectual duty
2007-10-20 05:22:36 · update #1
Wherever there is an intellectual duty, there is an opportunity.
1. There aren't enough people around who are knowledgeable in the subject matter.
2. The ones who are knowledgeable about the historical and the conceptual of the past philosophers and their philosophies are by and large not philosophical themselves.
3. Because of (2) above, those who know the subject matter (by and large) don't perceive the teaching of philosophy as a duty so much as an elective not taken as seriously as "Core" subjects in most students' majors.
4. If a person has the opportunity to learn from a teacher who knows the subject matter, and who is actually philosophical himself, this is a great and exceedingly rare opportunity.
5. One who knows the subject matter, and who is philosophical himself, would consider it a great and rare opportunity to teach someone with promise who expresses interest.
6. Simply teaching the historical data? It's irrelevant whether it's a duty or not. This is because it's such a profound and sublime privilege to teach and be taught by the truly philosophical mind. At its core, this is the quest of teaching the concepts and history of philosophy...not duty, but rather privilege. This is one of the tenants which sets philosophy apart from religion, where the drudgery of duty reigns supreme.
2007-10-23 21:20:06 · answer #1 · answered by M O R P H E U S 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Yes, I think it is a duty. The proper understanding of philosophy and of philosophical movements is an important part of our culture.
I fear that, in some cases, at least, philosophy professors are not being terribly accurate. That would account, at least in part, for the difficulties that people today have in thinking critically.
2007-10-20 00:54:51 · answer #2 · answered by kcchaplain 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is the duty of a philosophy professor, but otherwise I don't see it as a duty. Not many people are going to listen to you if you try to explain anyway.
2007-10-19 22:28:43 · answer #3 · answered by the Boss 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think it's important because, as the old Jewish saying has it, "Those who do not learn from the mistakes of History are doomed to repeat them."
Doug
2007-10-19 22:39:41 · answer #4 · answered by doug_donaghue 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋