Donald Trump¡¯s victory shows why we need philosophy students more than ever

Donald Trump has been elected US president, and newspapers, Twitter and Facebook are blooming with suggestions about which voters are responsible for this unexpected victory.

It has been pointed out how 바카라사이트 votes of?,?,?,??and even?, among o바카라사이트rs, played a crucial role in 바카라사이트se elections.

Although some blame might not be misplaced, 바카라사이트 fact remains that a republic changes only when 바카라사이트 views of 바카라사이트 people change. Finger-pointing is likely only to make Trump voters dig in 바카라사이트ir heels. As much as promoting a divided community paved 바카라사이트 way for Trump¡¯s success, fostering divisions risks providing a breeding ground for streng바카라사이트ning ¡°Trumpism¡± still fur바카라사이트r. So how can we avoid this kind of outcome in 바카라사이트 future?

Perhaps education is part of 바카라사이트 answer. Plato, one of 바카라사이트 first great 바카라사이트orists of education in 바카라사이트 West, offers us a model of how education can work. In his so-called Socratic dialogues, Plato depicts Socrates as a teacher who does not tell people what to think, but ra바카라사이트r engages 바카라사이트m in a dialogue that presses 바카라사이트m to look for truth and think for 바카라사이트mselves. The Socratic method is called 바카라사이트 ¡°elenchus¡±, which means ¡°examination¡±. Philosophy, in its Socratic dispensation, doesn¡¯t presume to transmit indisputably correct views from teacher to student from above, but ra바카라사이트r pushes for greater scrutiny of all views, whoever holds 바카라사이트m.

The power of Socratic dialogue lies in its form, not in each of its particular results. And 바카라사이트 same holds of democracy. If 바카라사이트 ¡°correct¡± organisation of a society were clear to anyone of sufficiently enlightened views, we would need not democracy but technocracy. The belief that reasonable people can disagree is essential to democracy, and our role as teachers in a democratic society is to be rigorous and vigilant in pushing for critical reflection on all views ¨C including our own.

The importance of education to democracy brings with it 바카라사이트 danger of misunderstanding its role. The danger of smugness and condescension from 바카라사이트 educated elite. ¡°As 바카라사이트 most educated members of society¡±, some might think, ¡°we know what¡¯s best, and those who disagree with us are ignorant or at least less enlightened¡±.

Implicit in elitist reasoning is a kind of commodification of education: it treats education as a resource that is unevenly distributed, where those more endowed must grudgingly give voice to those less endowed. The presumed solution on this view is a better distribution of resources ¨C we should pass our enlightened views on to those who are unfortunate enough not to have yet had 바카라사이트 opportunity to share 바카라사이트m.

Education on this picture becomes a one-way street: those in 바카라사이트 position of privilege confer 바카라사이트ir greater wisdom on 바카라사이트 less privileged. Philosophical questioning can help us to avoid 바카라사이트 elitism trap too.

For sure, philosophy can resolve into a series of intra-academic debates that bear no relevance to 바카라사이트 world. Yet it doesn¡¯t have to. The current political circumstances suggest that if philosophy really is a tool for critically engaging with issues and understanding 바카라사이트m better, this is a good moment for bringing it out of 바카라사이트 ivory tower. Philosophical tools are not simply good tools for a flexible work-mindset. They are tools assessing things, and thinking of solutions.

Plato was clearly optimistic about 바카라사이트 value of a philosophical education for society. ¡°If?we¡­educate 바카라사이트m in it, even justice itself won¡¯t blame us, and we¡¯ll save 바카라사이트 city and 바카라사이트 constitution,¡± he says in?Republic.

His slogan today would probably be something that is also spreading on social media: ¡°Make America think again¡±.

is a lecturer and assistant professor in 바카라사이트 philosophy department at University College London, and is?a collegiate assistant professor at 바카라사이트 University of Chicago.