The Philosophy Foundation - thinking changes

Valuing Philosophy Degrees

The Higher Education Academy are holding a conference at Birmingham City University entitled 'Valuing Philosophy Degrees: Enhancing Employability' on March 23rd. There will be talks on 'Confidence and Employability'; 'Employability in the Philosophy Curriculum'; 'Communicating the Value of Philosophical Study' and our specialist philosophy teacher Dan Sumners will be presenting a talk entitled 'Philosophy Outside the Academy'. Dan will be talking about his work and training with The Philosophy Foundation, his voluntary work with the Stuart Low Trust (running philosophy sessions with those experiencing social isoloation or mental distress) and also his work in policy development, and philosophy in business.

The conference is aimed at Philosophy academics, particularly those responsible for curriculum design; others involved in supporting or delivering philosophy teaching and learning, including careers advisers and educational developers and Philosophy students (past, present and prospective).

For more details about this conference and to register a place visit: The Higher Education Academy

Education Show

The Education Show is the leading educational event of the year and Peter Worley is presenting a 'Learn Live' event on the first day from 10am-10.45 about his book The If Machine. We have 20 VIP tickets to give away for Peter's talk. If you would like to register as a VIP to take part in Peter's presentation please emailinfo@philosophy-foundation.org. More information about Peter's talk and the Education Show generally can be found here: Education Show

Marathon Man

"There is in fact one way to preserve oneself, and that is not to exercise the soul without exercising the body, nor the body without the soul" Plato (Timaeus, 88b). 

Daniel Vasquez, a PhD student from Kings College London wants to challenge his body as well as his mind!

He has set himself the task of running the Edinburgh Marathan in support of The Philosophy Foundation, for which we are very grateful. Daniel would like to raise £1000 for the Foundation as he thinks that it is "...time to help, and a time to support causes that will make a deep and meaningful change, projects that will benefit society in an integral and lasting way."

Please support Daniel by visting his charity page and pledging some money. Thank you.

Charity Choice

How The Light Gets In

The If Machine talk by Peter Worley at How The Light Gets In this year can be seen on the Institute of Art and Ideas website:

http://iai.tv/video/the-if-machine

In this talk Peter introduced the audience to an example of the sort of session to be found in The If Machine as well as some of the facilitation techniques described in the book, such as 'if-ing, anchoring and opening up', 'thinking avenues' and dialogic discussions. He wanted the audience to experience a session so that they were not simply receiving a report of how philosophy is done with children but seeing it from the inside. So, if you watch the talk you will see a discussion on a philosophical thought experiment, a discussion about the discussion on the philosophical thought experiment, and by watching it you will also engage in a further discussion of your own, on the discussion on the thought experiment and on the discussion on the discussion on the thought experiment. If you can follow that then you need to tune in to find out more. And if you can't you need to tune in to find out more!

Plato not Playdoh

Read our Whitepaper on why now is the time to bring philosophy into the classroom at all levels in England's schools.

Whitepaper: Philosophy in Schools