A few years ago, I decided to rethink how I taught introduction to philosophy. Typical introductory philosophy classes introduce students to a selection of the works of historically significant authors, or to perennial puzzles in philosophy, or some combination of the two. The course serves to whet one’s appetite for more in-depth study in upper division philosophy courses. It’s a fine, time-tested model, but it began to seem to me inadequate when I considered that most of the students I encounter will take one philosophy class at most.
What would I want students to learn, if this course would turn out to be the only chance they had to experience philosophy?
As it turns out, I wasn’t the only professor with similar concerns, and I’ve been happy to work with other scholars as part of the Philosophy as a Way of Life project network. Future projects of mine include developing a philosophy as a way of life curriculum for elementary school children.