Hobbs, A. (2018) Philosophy and the good life. Journal of Philosophy in Schools, 5 (1). pp. 20-37. ISSN 2204-2482
Abstract
This paper considers the implications for education of a reworked ancient Greek ethics and politics of flourishing (particularly as found in Plato), where ‘flourishing’ comprises the objective actualisation of our intellectual, imaginative and affective potential. A brief outline of the main features of an ethics of flourishing and its potential attractions as an ethical framework is followed by a consideration of the ethical, aesthetic and political requirements of such a framework for the theory and practice of education, indicating the ways in which my approach differs from other recent work in the field. I argue that the teaching of philosophy in schools and philosophical approaches to the teaching of other subjects are ideally suited to meet the pedagogic requirements of individual and communal flourishing so understood, contributing greatly both to the understanding of what a well-lived life might be, and to the actual living of it. I further argue that these requirements are not only derived from ancient Greek philosophy but are in turn especially well-served by the teaching and deployment of Greek philosophy itself. My claim is not that Greek philosophy has all the answers, or that other philosophers and philosophical approaches should be excluded; it is simply that Greek philosophy offers rich resources for those seeking to introduce children and young people to philosophy and to foster thereby their flourishing in both childhood and as adults.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY- 4.0) - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. |
Keywords: | education; eudaimonia; good life; Greek philosophy; Plato |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Arts and Humanities (Sheffield) > Department of Philosophy (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 08 Dec 2017 11:31 |
Last Modified: | 09 May 2018 13:35 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.21913/JPS.v5i1.1482 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Federation of Australasian Philosophy in Schools Associations |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.21913/JPS.v5i1.1482 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:124837 |