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At one level, philosophy is an extremely useful discipline. It is the mathematics of the humanities,
it teaches precision of thought and expression within the bounds of
ordinary language. (For this reason, philosophy courses are among the best, and the most effective if well
taught, writing courses.) The study of philosophy develops critical
skills. Unlike other (especially science) courses, a philosophy course does not present a body of well-
established knowledge. In fact, Socrates (in some ways, the paradigmatic philosopher) used to say
that the only thing he knows is that he does not know anything. The student of philosophy is presented with
a variety of perspectives, which are meant to be analyzed, criticized, and if defended then only critically by
deflecting arguments that others have put forward against them. These are some of the philosophical skills
that a philosophy course can develop. One learns to think systematically
and reflectively: to provide reasons and arguments for one's
beliefs.
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At another level, philosophy is a strange discipline. It exposes its student to a multiplicity of
viewpoints, demanding and teaching respect for them. The history of philosophy is a history of diverging systems of thought, each of which offers a very different,
though coherent and self-sufficient, way of looking at the world.
The more one understands a great philosophical system, the more one realizes that one's initial gut-
criticisms do not really affect the thinker at whom they are directed. In fact, it is a necessary part of
philosophical development to reach a stage where one can look at the world from diverging perspectives.
Although this is a stage at which one's philosophical skills are at a
peak, it is a highly unsatisfactory state of mind. It takes serious philosophical work (not just skill anymore)
to overcome it.
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Philosophy of Action and Mind
Using Simple Animated Presentations (SAPs) in Teaching Elementary Logic