From Curiosity to Wisdom: Philosophy as the Foundation of all Learning

What is philosophy and why should we care about it? We often use the word “philosophy” in a loose sense to refer to a set of principles that guide behavior, as in “what’s your investment philosophy?” or “when it comes to roasting meat, my philosophy is low and slow.” This casual use of the term captures a truth about its general meaning: philosophy is a style of inquiry that systematically reflects on the principles that guide our thinking and behavior.  “Philosophy” comes from the Greek meaning “love of wisdom,” and throughout history has been understood as the subject devoted to trying to understand how to live a good life. The good life includes thinking well: drawing logical inferences, forming sound arguments, and properly evaluating evidence. Thinking well is connected to acting well: cultivating a reflective attitude whereby one takes responsibility for oneself and strives to be ethically consistent.

Clearly then, philosophy is concerned with the most fundamental aspects of what it means to be human. Why then are most people only introduced to philosophy in college, if at all? Influenced by the work of the great American philosopher John Dewey, some philosophers in the 1970s and 1980s sought to remedy this situation by starting the “Philosophy for Children” (P4C) movement. The basic idea of P4C is simple. Children are already naturally inquisitive. If properly encouraged and guided, this natural curiosity can be cultivated into the kinds of good mental habits that philosophy recognizes as the key to human flourishing.

Introducing philosophy to children has both instrumental and intrinsic value. Many people seem to be skeptical that philosophy has any instrumental value at all (“Philosophy? What are you going to do with that, flip burgers?”). In fact, this sentiment could not be further from the truth. Numerous studies have now shown that philosophy is in fact extremely useful with respect to almost all other aspects of education and professional development. Teaching kids philosophy makes them smarter in math and English. In addition to improved cognitive abilities, studies have also suggested that philosophy for children improves self-confidence, concentration, communication skills, and impulse management. Philosophy majors outperform nearly all of their peers on the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, and medical school admissions. Numerous articles have noted the “high stock” that Wall Street and Silicon Valley places in philosophy majors. Business titans such as Peter Thiel, Bill Miller, Carly Fiorina, and Carl Icahn all majored in philosophy.  Elon Musk and Mark Cuban have both recently argued that philosophy and the liberal arts will become increasingly valuable as their skills remain “automation-proof”. Far from being useless, philosophy may in fact be the most useful subject.

But philosophy is not only valuable for achieving higher test scores and finding employment. Philosophy has intrinsic value: philosophy is good for us in and of itself. Human life invariably leads us to “big questions” about God, meaning, purpose, truth, beauty, justice, and so on. Philosophers have reflected on these questions for ages and have actually made progress! Think of it this way: if you wanted to build a bridge you could sit down and try to figure it out from scratch, or you could consult the tried-and-true theories and techniques that engineers have been developing for centuries. Likewise, when reflecting on the meaning of life and the big questions that matter to us, shouldn’t we also consult the carefully developed accounts that the great thinkers of the past have come up with? This doesn’t mean that these big questions are permanently settled. There is always room for further reflection and new ways of thinking just as there is always room for engineers to develop newer and better building materials and techniques.  

To read more about philosophy for children, consult the following:
https://depts.washington.edu/nwcenter/
https://p4c.com/

-written by Blue Sky Kids expert Philip Walsh

More About the Expert:

Dr. Philip Walsh graduated from Villanova University and received his PhD in philosophy from the University of California, Irvine. He currently resides in Bernardsville and is a faculty member of the philosophy department at Fordham University. His published work focuses on philosophy of mind and consciousness. He teaches a wide variety of courses, including “Human Nature,” “Philosophy and Popular Culture,” “Chinese Philosophy,” and “Philosophy of Technology.” Dr. Walsh actually believes that philosophy can save the world, and is on a mission to bring philosophy out of the classroom and into the public eye. His motto comes from the great American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson: “A friend is one before whom I may think aloud.”