Philosophy Educating Humanity?

Philosophy Educating Humanity?

ABSTRACT: Over two millennia of Western philosophy has not yet contributed much to the education of humanity. Philosophy has almost always been the exclusive domain of a small group of men. This elite character makes the assumption that philosophy could contribute to the education of human beings towards humanity — a humanity of human rights — improbable. If we want to educate human beings towards humanity, we will first have to teach them a sense of responsibility. The power of persuasion needed in order to teach such a sense of responsibility requires that we demonstrate our involvement in and co-responsibility for their concrete problems by presenting clear analyses of these problems and by setting a good example wherever possible. One of the most universal and concrete problems of life is the issue of procreation. As regards this issue, however, philosophers have failed miserably: they themselves have often exhibited irresponsible procreation and have, in fact, only recently begun to consider the issue a subject for philosophy. I will try to analyze when a decision to procreate or abort may be called responsible and whether and to what extent the applications of modern techniques such as in vitro fertilization are in line with our views of human rights.

Two and a half thousand years of Western philosophy have not yet contributed much to the education of humanity. Philosophy has always been the almost exclusive domain of a small group of men, conversing in esoteric language on the most abstract of subjects, without being much concerned about the needs of the ordinary people around them. This elitism undermines the assumption that philosophy could contribute to the education of humanity as a whole, and it makes the assumption that it could contribute to the education of human beings towards humanity — a humanity of human rights — entirely improbable.

If we want to educate human beings towards humanity we will first have to teach them a sense of responsibility: the awareness that each is responsible for his or her own actions and the consequences which can be expected to ensue, together with the awareness that a person’s rights and freedoms may not encroach upon the corresponding rights and freedoms of another. The power of persuasion needed in order to teach such a sense of responsibility requires that we demonstrate our involvement in and co-responsibility for their concrete problems, by presenting clear analyses of these problems and by setting a good example wherever possible.