questions, in that they invite many possible answers. They are open in the sense that the answers cannot be fully supplied by science or external authorities; they are questions that we must settle for ourselves, as individuals and communities. The impact of this on critical thinking is profound, in two ways. First, the contestability of philosophical concepts and philosophical questions provides more elbow-room for critical thinking that any other area of inquiry – the correct answer can’t be in the teacher’s head all along, or already discovered by some expert (though people who have thought a lot about these matters might be worth listening to). Students really do have to think their way to their own conclusions, and this is both demanding and freeing. Second, since philosophical questions, and the meaning of philosophical concepts, can’t be settled by science or authority, thinking that is critical, creative and ideally, caring and collaborative, is essential for arriving at worthwhile answers. These are important matters, and while there are no final un-revisable answers to be found outside of us, we can’t take the view that “anything goes”. In this context the quality of our thinking becomes supremely important. Worthwhile answers will be the ones that result from carefully formulated questions followed by rich exploration and thorough critical evaluation of possible responses. To sum up, what philosophy offers to critical thinking is a subject matter that is accessible to all, motivating to many, and which, by it’s very nature, allows for a stimulating freedom of thought while requiring a high degree of rigour. Vanya Kovach 2017
questions, in that they invite many possible answers. They are open in the sense that the answers cannot be fully supplied by science or external authorities; they are questions that we must settle for ourselves, as individuals and communities. The impact of this on critical thinking is profound, in two ways. First, the contestability of philosophical concepts and philosophical questions provides more elbow-room for critical thinking that any other area of inquiry – the correct answer can’t be in the teacher’s head all along, or already discovered by some expert (though people who have thought a lot about these matters might be worth listening to). Students really do have to think their way to their own conclusions, and this is both demanding and freeing. Second, since philosophical questions, and the meaning of philosophical concepts, can’t be settled by science or authority, thinking that is critical, creative and ideally, caring and collaborative, is essential for arriving at worthwhile answers. These are important matters, and while there are no final un-revisable answers to be found outside of us, we can’t take the view that “anything goes”. In this context the quality of our thinking becomes supremely important. Worthwhile answers will be the ones that result from carefully formulated questions followed by rich exploration and thorough critical evaluation of possible responses. To sum up, what philosophy offers to critical thinking is a subject matter that is accessible to all, motivating to many, and which, by it’s very nature, allows for a stimulating freedom of thought while requiring a high degree of rigour. Vanya Kovach 2017
What-is-special-about-philosophy-as-a-subject-matter-for-critical-thinking.docx