The Pursuit of Wisdom and Happiness in Education
Historical Sources and Contemplative Practices
- 362 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
The Pursuit of Wisdom and Happiness in Education
Historical Sources and Contemplative Practices
About this book
Modern scholarship has struggled to come to terms with the meaning of wisdom and its significance in the field of education. This book examines the importance of pursuing wisdom in schools by turning to ancient and medieval sources for clarification concerning the nature of wisdom. Sean Steel argues that our current emphasis on the development of rigorous critical-analytic thinking skills, on assessment, and on accountability in education has negatively impacted the ability of schools to foster an environment in which both students and teachers might pursue wisdom. Although in recent times efforts have been made to incorporate the pursuit of wisdom into schools through Philosophy for Children (P4C) and contemplative education programming, such initiatives have missed their mark. Steel therefore recommends not more accountability in education for the purpose of ensuring global competitiveness, but rather the institutional promotion of periods of leisure or schole in the school day. Drawing upon his own experiences as a teacher who has tried to encourage students to search for wisdom, the author discusses some of the challenges and pitfalls of wisdom seeking. He also offers examples of various wisdom-seeking activities that might bear fruit in the classroom.
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Table of contents
- Cover
- Title
- Copyright
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1. Stating the Problem: The Loss of Wisdom in the Modern World
- 2. Aristotleâs Understanding of Wisdom and Wisdomâs Pursuit
- 3. Boethius: The Relevance of Philosophy and the Need for a Wisdom Atmosphere in Education
- 4. Moses Maimonidesâs Warnings against the Pursuit of Wisdom in Schools
- 5. Thomas Aquinas and the Gift of Wisdom
- 6. âForget about Wisdom! Letâs Innovate!â A Critique of Current Trends in Education Reform
- 7. The Same Old Story: A History Lesson with St. Augustine about Education Reform
- 8. The Problem of Introducing Schole into Schools Today
- 9. Gareth Matthewsâs Defense of Philosophizing with Children
- 10. Matthew Lipman and the P4C Movement
- 11. What Philosophy Is Not
- 12. A Brief Statement on the Unity between the Philosophic and Contemplative Traditions
- 13. Technological Education and the Need for Contemplation
- 14. The Challenge of Contemplative Education Programming in Schools
- 15. Examples of Contemplative Education in Schools
- 16. A Proposal for âMetaxicâ Education, or an Education of the In-Between
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
- Back Cover