If you've come this far, you must be interested enough in joining a school philosophy club. Your problem is no such club exists. Yet.
You can (and are suggested to) help by replying to this blog entry with your name (your actual name, please; i need proof that their are students who are enrolled at Barbe that would like to be part of a philosophy club) and a short paragraph about why you would be interested in joining such a club. You can really write whatever you want, so long as it's relevant and could help me find a teacher to sponsor the club.
why should you be interested?
I'm hoping that, if the club is established, we would be able to have discussions at length. I'm talking more than just one 30 min morning conversation a week. It would require some extent of committal--meetings outside of school, or maybe after school. The class discussion would include, but not be limited to, a new concept each week. I imagine there is a possibility of field trips and there will most likely be outside reading (small articles, etc.).
Etc. etc. etc. Any suggestions are appreciated.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
no.man
ReplyDeleteI'm quite curious of what my peers have to say about life and beliefs. Sure, people might have small conversations with others about things like this, but why not get more input? Get to know your friends, get to know yourself, and most of all, share information. If people are serious about this, I think it would be a great idea to have this afterschool or outside of school. Topic starters would be a must. Outside reading would be cool too, learning about different people and ideas and beliefs.
Ignore the name, I apologize if I'm too awesome.
ReplyDeleteI can't say I've ever been interested in the conventional stereotype of philosophy, the whole business of asking obscure questions and trying to use logic to explain meaningless acedemics through them.
What interests me is seeing how other perceive various things, ranging from the universe, the nature of humanity, how moral decisions are evaluated, how morals are valued. I like to try to get into someone else's mind, to better understand them. To quote Joshua from "The World Ends With You," "Only by clashing with others can we find new ways to be ourselves."
The only thing that makes me interested in this actually being a physical discussion instead of just talking here about philosophy is to hear other people's views as I form my own opinions around a subject. It's one thing to read about a subject, form an opinion, then read the views of others, but it is entirely different to tentatively explore deep soul-searching questions as a group where everyone recognizes that no one has a monopoly of wisdom.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSydni Dunn. Senior. I feel a philosophy club would add something new and unique to the list of school organizations at Barbe. Very few clubs exist where a group of students can openly voice views, morals, ideas. We are seldomly able to express ourselves in the classroom. I am heavily involved in student council and international club. I enjoy both, but I feel like I could gain something more from being in a group like this.
ReplyDeleteI picture this as very lax and respectful... nothing heated. Yes, opinions may clash, but that is what is so fascinating. I am intrigued and interested in not only discovering my own philosophy, but getting insight on others.
Any group where I am able to explore ethics, morals, politics, nature, the mind, body, knowledge---- I'm in.
Taylor C
ReplyDeletePhilosophy is definitely a subject that interests many students in High School. This club could be a very effective tool in promoting free thought, providing an opportunity to share our beliefs and the opportunity to mature and expand our beliefs. Such a club would teach students to express themselves, and equally importantly listen to others.
I think there should also be somewhat of a short "history lesson" before each discussion so that students could learn where the ideas came from and why. Learning and discussing philosophy would be a great experience for many students to have and I would love to be a part of it.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLee Garcia. Senior
ReplyDeleteIn conjunction with what has been said so far, and alongside what is to come after this comment--
I think that a club focused strongly on discussion, such as this one, could help with a student's public speaking abilities. More specifically, a student could benefit from speaking to a group, trying to express an idea to a large (or at least moderately sizable) number of peers. This group would also help a student's ability to listen and work together.
A suggestion-- we could have different groups of students studying different philosophical concepts. Each group would do a little reading and research and then present the philosophy they have studied to the entire club. For example, we could have a group that identifies itself as the 'existentialists' and another as the 'stoics' and so on and so for. This idea is very much open for modification.
**note:
Anyone commenting should also include their information as FRESHMAN, SOPHOMORE, JUNIOR, or SENIOR. Seeing as we're already in our second semester, we're going to need a good amount of 'underclassmen' to be part of the group. This group would be more able to thrive if it had lasting members.
I sent out a message on facebook, but I'm afraid I may not have many contacts that aren't seniors or haven't graduated. If you can pass it along, to seniors and 'non-seniors' alike, that would be great.
Johnny N. Junior
ReplyDeleteI believe this club would be a great way to get to understand each others thoughts on certain matters. I agree with Lee about how it could improve our public speaking, and also give us a brief intro [so to speak] into another person's thoughts. Being able to freely think and converse with our peers helps us to communicate and help others to expand their views on subjects. Having a Philosophy club at the high school level would encourage kids [our peers] to show/tell us how they feel towards a specific subject/event/etc. I strongly feel that this club would strengthen our students into being able to voice their opinion and/or raise their ability to expand their own thoughts.
Sanaa Shaikh. Junior.
ReplyDeleteOkay. So here it goes. I realized my last comment was a tad sloppy so I cleaned it up.
a) I want to discuss philosophy in general. So many view points of what life is and why we exist are out in the world, and we, Barbe's Philosophy Club, can only gain from learning about it. Philosophy is in the background of pretty much every major subject. Many principles of architecture come from philosophy, economy is based on philosophy, books and more books are written about it every day. By understanding some of the philosophy in this world, we are opeing up a door to understand the very basis of popular subjects. By discussing these ideas, we become more rounded people.
b) I want to learn more about myself and others as well. Discussion is one of the best ways to learn about yourself. When writing or talking or arguing or anything, you come to realize your true passions and feelings. By forming this club, I hope to learn more about how I feel about things. Being a teenager is confusing enough, and hopefully a philosophy club will allow us to discover things about ourselves we never knew.
c) I want to form this club to discuss things. In case you people do not know, I love to talk and have intellectual conversations. More classes should encourage in-depth discussions on certain topics because these discussions help increase your critical thinking skills.
d) Through this club, we will learn to accept two sides of the picture. By staying ignorant about worldly views we isolate ourselves and keep ourselves from growing. We need to learn how to accept both sides of a certain issue instead of writing one out from the start.
e) I want this club because I will get to discuss Ayn Rand's ideas. I had to add this one. Hah.
f) Lastly, this group is a no judgement circle where we will learn to express ourselves and our ideas without the fear of being laughed at or condemned. It will serve as a safe haven for the intellectually unique.
That is all. We can so do this thing. :)
J, Senior
ReplyDeleteThought, consciousness, state of mind, existence. All concepts to ponder. Questions need answers, answers need not be correct, but arguable. Nothing need be too specific, but only interesting. Suggest anything and everything that comes to mind.
Out of argument comes answers and ideas.
Where better to discuss such things but with other people with similar interest? A club? YES! We WILL do this thing!
As a side note: We should create committees that research more specific topics and then share with everyone with subsequent debate (in addition to general discussion).
Rebecca Swan, Senior
ReplyDeleteThis can be a group where people with different views can come together and share opinions on anythings. Sure, the general idea is covered by everyone else who has posted. Learning specific views through outside reading and study would be interesting, but more important is how each of us takes the information. It has always been interesting to me to ponder life, existance, and such. This club will give students a chance to not wonder alone, or only with a few people. The more people you come into contact with and compare ideas with, the better you know yourself and what you believe.
Katie Price, sophomore (score for underclassmen!)
ReplyDeleteThe second meeting has already passed, but...
I think philosophy club is an excellent idea because it will allow us to see inside each others minds, and ideas brought to light that we may not have considered before. Also, I think exploring deep subjects is... well, fun! I would add more, but I can't think at the moment (courtesy of the tv).