- Sep 2024
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philosophersmag.com philosophersmag.com
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Armed with a philosophical education, our protagonist is now in a better position to think about the challenges she confronts. She will be indignant because many of them are the product of unjust political institutions, but she will also have a critical understanding of what makes them unjust. She will have imagined fantastical possibilities and subjected them to critical examination. Doing so will allow her to construct her own vision of what justice requires.
This passage highlights the transformative impact of philosophical education on the protagonist's ability to navigate challenges, particularly those stemming from unjust political institutions. Philosophy equips her not only with a sense of indignation at injustice but also with the tools for critical analysis, enabling her to understand the underlying causes of injustice.
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During the first round of this exercise, students inevitably take so many fish that there are none left in the lake. Students then discuss what has happened and what they ought to do differently in the next round.
This shows that everyone's first reaction can show symptoms of greed as everyone fights for their self-interest initially. They begin to change their methodical approach only after seeing how it has failed.
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Many introductory philosophy courses, including mine, start with Descartes’ First Meditation. Descartes presents one of the most well-discussed arguments for scepticism – the view that we cannot have knowledge – by asking the reader to consider the possibility that she is dreaming. Instructors (myself included) will teach students how to dissect those arguments into premises and conclusions and how to evaluate them for validity and soundness.
Focusing on the argument of skepticism, Descartes questions the certainty of knowledge by proposing that one could be dreaming, a scenario that casts doubt on the reliability of sensory experiences. The text suggests that instructors use this meditation to teach critical philosophical skills like argument analysis. By encouraging students to break down Descartes’ reasoning into premises and conclusions, instructors aim to develop students' ability to validate and make their arguments sound. The approach underscores the pedagogical value of using classical texts to host analytical thinking.
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The deep underlying idea is that if we have to choose a social and political arrangement without knowing the position that we may occupy in society, we will choose fair principles to govern our social and political institutions.
This reminds me of the scenario in class we discussed regarding picking representatives by lottery. If a civilian has no idea what position they will fulfill but is chosen at random, they might end up doing a better job than those who come in due to greed and being power hungry.
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