Please join us on Thursday September 7th, from 16.00 to 17.00 in MM01.069 for a discussion on teaching controversy in school, led by prof Michael Merry.
Nowadays a growing number of philosophers of education plead for 'teaching the controversy' in school. The motivation behind this idea appears to be an extension of the civic aim of education, i.e., that young people should learn to engage with others whose experiences, beliefs and ideas are different from one's own, where 'controversy' implies topics concerning which divergent views can be espoused by reasonable persons, where 'engage' entails listening, learning and deliberating with others in what many feel is an increasingly fraught political climate, and where the stakeholders include not only students and teachers, but also parents and society at large. In this interactive talk, participants will be invited to think through the aims of education, the nature of controversy, and both the philosophical and logistical challenges of this endeavor.
For a concrete illustration of some of his previous work on this topic, you can find an ethical analysis regarding controversial historical monuments here.
We look forward seeing you there!
