Why does France insist school pupils master philosophy?
by Lorenzo Piccoli
I have been staring in admiration over the shoulder of my 17-year-old daughter, as she embarks on a last mental rehearsal before a much-dreaded philosophy exam. My primary thought is: Thank the Lord I was spared the torment.
I mean, can you imagine having to sit down one morning in June and spend four hours developing an exhaustive, coherent argument around the subject: Is truth preferable to peace?
Or: Does power exist without violence?
Or possibly: Can one be right in spite of the facts?
Read the article on BBC News Europe.
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Why do the rest of us not insist this would be my question. We pride ourselves on our rational values, but many even in the West do not get to study the subject that is the basis for this.
Right. It’s such a silly idea to emphasize a decent education and the ability to reason independently — because one thing we really don’t have enough of in this world is morons.