The case for teaching philosophy in schools

This thesis presents the case for teaching philosophy in schools. I provide a critical analysis of existing reasons for teaching philosophy in schools whilst simultaneously setting out guiding principles for establishing an argument for placing philosophy on the curriculum. I then examine the nature and aims of theoretical education. I characterise this as an education primarily conveying ideas to students. I outline competing accounts of the value of a theoretical education and conclude that work is needed to establish a justifiable account. I then outline my own, utility-based account of the value of a theoretical education. Here, a theoretical education is valuable because it helps students to interact effectively with the world. I derive two arguments for teaching philosophy in schools from this. First, there is a body of questions based on ordinary concepts that are best answered by drawing on the systematic study of ordinary concepts undertaken by philosophers. Second, a theoretical education can fail to help students to interact effectively with the world because theoretical curricula are conceptually fragmented. Methods and content from the discipline of philosophy are best placed to help students to make sense of this conceptual fragmentation