DOES PHILOSOPHY TEACHING/ LEARNING HAVE TO BE BORING?

Abstract

Philosophy mostly deals with abstract and cold concepts, theories and views. Because of its very nature, students generally frightened from philosophy and think that it is very hard. Also philosophy is generally taught within a historical perspective. It starts from the views of ancient philosophers such as Aristotle, Platoon, Anaximander, Pythagoras, etc. Because of that commonly used historical perspective, it makes philosophy boring and irrelevant to the actual life in the eyes of students. But it doesn't have to be like that. Instead, philosophy learning can be very enjoyable. In order to provide that firstly, the historical perspective of philosophy teaching should be pushed aside. Instead of that, a problematic view must be accepted and philosophical subjects must be associated with the actual life. In fact, most subjects of philosophy arise from the inside of actual life and they are real and deeper problems of human existence. If that can be shown, teachers can attract attention of their students to philosophy subjects. Secondly, while teaching philosophy, teachers, lecturers can give examples from movies. Moreover they can show movies, documentaries in the class. They should give examples from daily life, tell jokes about the subjects. The teacher can use novels, popular TV series even TV cartoons. Performing debates in the classes about philosophical subjects is also an attractive and enjoyable way of teaching philosophy. In my paper, I will give some examples of them and try to show how philosophy can be rendered funny.