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Hamilton
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Joined: July 23rd, 2001, 6:25 pm

The Value of Philosophy

June 9th, 2002, 2:58 am

"It is typical of our time that the more doubtful we are about the value of philosophy, the more certain we are about the value of education. That is to say, the more doubtful we are about whether we have any truth, the more certain we are that we can teach it to our children." - G.K. Chesterton
 
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David
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Joined: September 13th, 2001, 4:05 pm

The Value of Philosophy

June 9th, 2002, 3:30 pm

"I am beginning to suspect all elaborate and special systems of education. They seem to me to be built up on the supposition that every child is a kind of idiot who must be taught to think." - Macy Anne Sullivan (1866-1936)I am finding myself agreeing with Anne Sullivan rather than Gilbert Chesterton (1874-1936), although they used to criticize the same education system. Indeed, Chesterton was British and Sullivan was merely an American educator, the education systems at that time were the same. "It is typical of our time..." might be an indication of Chesterton to the crisis in philosophy, which existed during the science's revolution in the twenty-century. Hence, the value of philosophy was(?) almost meaningless and dangerous. Therefore, one might ask, what would currently be the best instrument for valuing the philosophy in the present?
 
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Aaron
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Joined: July 23rd, 2001, 3:46 pm

The Value of Philosophy

June 11th, 2002, 4:07 pm

"It is typical of our time that the more doubtful we are about the value of philosophy, the more certain we are about the value of education. That is to say, the more doubtful we are about whether we have any truth, the more certain we are that we can teach it to our children." - G.K. Chesterton >>This makes perfect sense to me. The more doubtful I am about where I am, the more certain I am that I need a good map. The more doubtful I am about facts, the more certain I am that I need a good measurements.If I were certain about philosophy, I would teach people what they needed to be happy. Since I am not, I teach them everything I can and learn everything from them I can, so we can both double our chances of coping.