Ordinary Language Analysis in Teaching the Philosophy of Education

Abstract

Introduction:  A continuing issue in the teaching of philosophy to undergraduates is making a case for its relevance. I have discovered that it is not simply enough to stipulate that philosophical thinking is a helpful adjunct to critical thinking, but that such a claim needs to be demonstrated in rather concrete ways. Such student-centered demands are not at all unreasonable, given the twin factors of a stagnant employment outlook and rising tuition. In a conventional sense of "pragmatism", then, students are now much more interested in the possible "payoff" value of philosophical inquiry.