Patterns in Teaching Philosophy

Synonyms

Philosophy; Teaching

Introduction: Philosophy and the Philosophers on Stage

Philosophy and education have since their beginnings, in the context of Western traditions rooted in European, Ancient Greek, and Roman culture, showed strong affiliation toward each other. Although philosophy has traditionally been regarded as a fundamentally lonely activity, it is yet only one side of a complex and indeed dynamic picture. The philosopher depicted as the lonely thinker is appropriate in one sense, since thinking – as any cognitive processes in general − always takes place as a critical process (intra muros), i.e., inside the mind. Philosophical thinking has a critical character, in the sense that its main purpose is seeking answers, or as first, seeking appropriate forms of questioning, often fuelled by a deep crisis of various possible sources and features.

The processes in the cognitive sphere coined as philosophy are yet not as individual as it is generally viewed. Not because the...