ERIC Number: EJ1172645
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0013-1857
EISSN: N/A
On Engaging with Others: A Wittgensteinian Approach to (Some) Problems with Deeply Held Beliefs
Bowell, Tracy
Educational Philosophy and Theory, v50 n5 p478-488 2018
My starting point for this paper is a problem in critical thinking pedagogy--the difficult of bringing students to a point where they are able, and motivated, critically to evaluate their own deeply held beliefs. I first interrogate the very idea of a deeply held belief, drawing upon Wittgenstein's idea of a framework belief--a belief that forms part of a 'scaffolding' for our thoughts--or of a belief that functions as a hinge around which other beliefs pivot. I then examine the role of deeply held beliefs, thus conceived, in our ways of being in the world, exploring the extent to which engagement with others whose deeply held beliefs differ from ours may be possible through imaginative 'travel'. Finally, I reflect upon the extent to which these imaginative moments also offer up opportunities for critical reflection upon our own deeply held beliefs and, thus, the possibility of changing or adapting those beliefs.
Descriptors: Epistemology, Beliefs, Critical Thinking, Self Evaluation (Individuals), Concept Formation, Reflection, Attitude Change, Philosophy, Language Usage, Abstract Reasoning, Persuasive Discourse, Transformative Learning, College Students
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A