Professor Martinez-Saenz
The earnest study of philosophy can
enable you in a number of ways. In class, however, we will focus most
conspicuously on one benefit the study of philosophy has to offer, namely,
developing your ability to think, read, and write in a critical manner.
- The study of philosophy can enable you to be a clearer thinker.
You will learn to evaluate arguments recognizing unwarranted or
unjustified assumptions making it possible for you to carry on
sophisticated thought provoking discussions about most topics. The study
of philosophy forces you to think and engage your mind in ways that other
disciplines do not. You will be forced to think about some of the
perennial problems that most cultures have faced since the beginning of human
time. You will engage with some of history's “great minds” identifying
their strengths and their weaknesses. Overall, you will develop an
appreciation of history, its triumphs and its pitfalls.
- Second, you will develop your critical thinking skills generally. Critical
thinking can be understood as the process of analyzing, conceptualizing
and evaluating information. This information can come in various forms.
One can think critically about the social milieu that one inhabits; one
can think critically about a film or a novel; one can think critically
about one’s own behavior. What you learn to do is evaluate and
analyze different types of information ensuring, in at least some
respects, you are pursuing the best avenues open to you. For example, you
seek purpose, solutions to problems, recognize implications and
consequences and identify objections from alternative viewpoints.
Furthermore, critical thinking can enable you to break down some obstacles
to clear thinking.
a.
You
will be able, more readily, to detect instances of prejudice, racism and
oppression, identifying the biases inherent in certain structures like
language. Is there a difference between calling someone a “welfare recipient”
or a “welfare bum? How does the choice of words affect our perceptions of certain
problems?
b.
You
will learn to appreciate cultural differences and recognize that one should
continuously question societal assumptions and cultural attitudes. How did
women’s suffrage come about? How did Martin Luther King Jr. combat racism?
c.
You
will learn to recognize how habit and conformity slip into our lives unnoticed,
affecting the types of decisions we make. For example, many people vote along
party lines out of habit, never questioning the positions some candidates
maintain.
d.
You
will learn that, at times, decisions are made without adequate information. We
do not always have enough information to understand situations fully and it is
during these times that we must be careful not to pass judgment too quickly. The
United States, for example,
wanted Batista, the dictator of Cuba,
overthrown. As a consequence, they supported Castro’s Revolution. The United States,
however, on its own accord, suggested that they made a decision without
sufficient information. In other words, if they had more information would they
have made the same decision?
e.
You
will learn to recognize that our understanding of the world is directly related
to our point of view and our experiences. This point of view, like those of
others, is made up of values, beliefs and assumptions. I am not suggesting that
you will be able to remove yourself from this point of view or vantage point,
but I am suggesting that you should be able to understand your self and your
beliefs more fully so you can come to understand your own perspective.