Global Philosophy: What Philosophy Ought to Be

by Nicholas Maxwell PH.

Overview

This book is about education, learning, rational inquiry, philosophy, science studies, problem solving, academic inquiry, global problems, wisdom and, above all, the urgent need for an academic revolution. Despite this range and diversity of topics, there is a common underlying theme. Education ought to be devoted, much more than it is, to the exploration real-life, open problems; it ought not to be restricted to learning up solutions to already solved problems - especially if nothing is said about the problems that provoked the solutions in the first place. A central task of philosophy ought to be to keep alive awareness of our unsolved fundamental problems.

The essays in this volume seek to provoke a concerted effort to transform our institutions of learning so that they become rationally and effectively devoted to helping us learn how to create a wiser world.

Our most serious problems of living are so grim, so imbued with suffering, wasted lives and unnecessary death, that the idea of approaching them in a playful spirit seems sacrilegious. We need to keep alive tackling of intellectual problems so that playful capacities can be exercised - if for no other reason (and other reasons there are, of course, aplenty). There are two really worthy impulses behind all rational inquiry: delight and compassion.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781845407674
Publisher:	Imprint Academic (Ips)
Publication date:	10/01/2014
Series:	Societas
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	5.43(w) x 8.36(h) x 0.64(d)

About the Author

Nicholas Maxwell is Emeritus Reader in Philosophy of Science at UniversityCollege London. Previously, he taught philosophy of science in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at UCL for nearly thirty years. Much of his teaching and research has been devoted to arguing that we need to bring about a revolution in academia so that it comes to seek and promote wisdom and does not just acquire knowledge. He has published six books on this theme.

Table of Contents

Preface: Learning, Global Problems, and Play vii

Chapter 1 Philosophy Seminars for Five-Year-Olds 1

Chapter 2 What Philosophy Ought to Be 11

Chapter 3 How Can Our Human World Exist and Best Flourish Embedded in the Physical Universe? A Letter to an Applicant to a New Liberal Studies Course 47

Chapter 4 What's Wrong with Science and Technology Studies? What Needs to Be Done to Put It Right? 65

Chapter 5 Arguing for Wisdom in the University: An Intellectual Autobiography 108

Acknowledgements 177

References 178

Index 187

Editorial Reviews

"Global Philosophy by Nicholas Maxwell is a timely and important book… a passionate, authentic, and morally committed call for moving from philosophical discourse to social and political engagement."

Educational Theory - Nimrod Aloni

"Could a more likely explanation for the relative neglect of Maxwell's work be due to the institutional inertia and entrenched (disciplinary) conservatism of the academic world and the philosophical community in particular?... Maxwell’s latest book as well as in his work for the past 40 years… are certainly relevant to our efforts in successfully confronting and solving some of the major (global/glocal/local) problems afflicting our world."

Research Trends - Nader N. Chokr

"Maxwell's key message is a very valid one and yet remains to be fully acknowledged and appreciated: As Maxwell already pointed out in 1984 and 2007 we need to move "from knowledge [inquiry] to wisdom [inquiry]" in university education and beyond; we urgently need to address our fundamental problems of living by bringing all the values and capacities to bear that we can muster!"

Metapsychology (vol. 18, issue 1) - Thomas Mengel

"Maxwell... makes a powerful case for a revolution in philosophy – something for which he has been calling for 30 years – but, despite having already published seven books on the theme, his voice, sadly, has gone unheeded."

the-newshub.com - Geoff Ward