History in Education

Peter Kemp {Ed.} , ., . History in Education Proceedings from the Conference History in Education Held at the Danish University of Education 24-25 March, 2004 The Present Publication is Financially Supported by Korea Research Foundation and the Danish University of Education Danish University of Education Press • History in Education Contents Author: Peter Kemp (Ed.) Proceedings from the Conference History in Education Held at the Danish University of Education 24-25 March, 2004 5 Peter Kemp (Denmark): Preface The Present Publication is Financially Supported by Korea Research Foundation and the Danish University of Education 9 Lars-Henrik Schmidt (Denmark): 'History' of the Present regarded as the Past of the Future Published by Danish University of Education Press 23 David Evans (N. Ireland): _ The Danish University of Education Poetry, History and Philosophy: the message of Aristotle Poetic. 54, Emdrupvej DK- 2400 Copenhagen NV 31 Yiehou Yao, (China): www.dpu.dk/forlag Philosophical Tradition and Education of Civilization History © 2005 Danish University of Education Press and the authors 43 William L. McBride (USA): Should we Teach the History of Philosophy? Or, Should we Teach History at All? No parts of this book maybe reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any 53 Dermot Moran (Ireland): information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from What is Historical in the History of Philosophy? the publisher. Towards an Assessment of Twentieth-Century European Philosophy Typeset and Cover: Pitney Bowes Management Services - DPU 83 ave Korsgaard (Denmark): Cover Illustration: Armageddon, 2000, Transformation of the Concept of People Bandung, Indonesia. Polyester resin, 48x40x70 em Print: IKON Document Services 91 Hans Poser (Germany): Enlightenment Top Down Leibniz',Lettre sur I'education d'unpi 1. edition ISBN 87-7684-006-9 101 Jean Ferrari (France): Le role de I'histoire dans I'enseignement How to buy: 111 Evandro Agazzi (Italy):. National Library of Education What Kind of History Should we Teach? 101, Emdrupvej, DK - 2400 Copenhagen NV www.dpb.dpu.dk 119 Basilio Rojo Ruiz (Mexico): [email protected] Aesthetic Immersion and Education T: +45 8888 9360 P: +45 8888 9394 .. 52 HIstory in Education We are Hving. in fact, at a time at which hatred.and fear abound. And the invocations of historical referents about which I have been speaking seem not What is Historical in the to have contributed to ameliorating that situation; on the contrary. Should his History of Philosophy? tory. then, be taught? Towards an Assessment of Twentieth-Century European Philosophyl Dermot Moran 'Lack of a historical sense is the hereditary defect of philosophers ... So what is needed from now on is historical philosophising. and with it the \1rtue of modesty: (Nietzsche 1878) The Project: i, . A Critical Assessment ofTwentieth-Century Philosophy Thanks to a Senior Fellowship from the Irish Research Council for the Humani ties and Social Sciences, 1 am currently collaborating with a team of internatio nal philosophers on a challenging philosophical project, namely, a critical as sessment of twentieth-century philosophy, one that identifies its significant innovations a~d accomplishments, as well as the problems bequeathed to our current generation of philosophers. In this paper I want to reflect on some aspects of this problematic: how to approach twentieth-century philosophy: how to gain an overall perspective on its traditions, and specifically on the commonalities between these emergil1g traditions, commonalities that are, in many ways, more significant that their opposition and divergences. The overall aim is to identify the Challenges 'still being generated by the legacy ofthetwen tieth century_ To paraphrase Croce's 1906 question concerning Hegel: what is living and what is dead in twentieth century philosophy? 1 hrller versions of this paper have ileen presented a9 the plenaI}' Session, Society for BUlopeall PhHosophy Conference. EUTopeoll Phflosophyolld the Humoll Condition, Un\velSlty College COlk. Saturday 14'· Septem ber 2002, and at the Organl'tlltlon of Phenomenological Organizations (OPO) Conference, Prague Academy of the Sciences, Prague, Ptlday g'. November 2002.llIho acknowledge gratefully the support of the lJ!sh Research CouncH fOT the Humanities and Social SCiences (IRCHSS). S4 Histol)' In Educatio.n Dermot Moran S5 There are, currently, remarkably few overall studies oftwentieth -century philo Augustine, nevertheless the history of philosophy practised entirely for its own sophy; even the 10-volume Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy contains no sake seems to be a product of nineteenth century. Both the Hegelians and the entry for 'Twentieth-Century Philosophy? Yet it is clear that the very meaning Neo-Kantians (e.g. Windelband) wrote histories of philosophy, as did the Neo of philosophy changed in profound ways overthe last hundred years, ways that Thomists (Gilson), who for instance, emphaSised the dominance of classical are certainly not even documented, never mind fully understood. How are we realism in medieval philosophy to the detriment of the nominalist or even even to begin to appreciate the philosophical legacy of that turbulent, terrify ~eoplatonic influences. It is important to recognise how recent many of our ing, but enormously productive twen'lieth century? Historians are apt to speak historical discoveries are in philosophy, to realise, for example, that more has of 'long' centuries, and certainly the twentieth century must seem to us nowt~ ~ee~ learned about all aspects of medieval philosophy in the twentieth century be one of the longest. Extraordinary technological advances coupled with poli (Its fIgures, texts, sources and influences) than in the whole period from the 171h th tical catastrophes are marks of the age. Moreover, philosophy bears a grave tothe 19 centuries. Similarly, thanks tothe 1844 manuscripts, a new version of responsibility: like it or not, disastrous ideologies have been inspired in part b! Marx emerged in twentieth century. European universities especially in Ger the appropriation or misappropriation of various philosophies - Marx-Lem many, France and England developed critical editions of Plato, Aristotle, and so nism, Maoism, fascism, and so on. There is, undoubtedly, a fascinating chapter on. B~t compare what we knowofHeideggernow, based on the Gesamtausgabe to be written in the sociology of knowledge concerning the relation of philoso and, slmularly, what we knew at the time of his death in 1976. The same can be phy to other developments in the century, here however I shall be concerned said of Kant, Nietzsche and Kierkegaard who receive their critical editions in with philosophy's self-representation, philosophical reflection on its own hi twentieth century. story. I shaUlargely exclude external factors, and largely concern myself with an internalist account of the history of philosophy, philosophy as interpreted by An important innovation in the practice of philosophy in the twentieth century philosophers. that cannot go unnoticed is the admission of women into the profession in large numbers from the mid-twentieth century onwards. The First World War The Legacy of the Nineteenth century played a role in ensuring that Husserl's classes consisted largely on women in Nevertheless, some 'external' fcatures need to be mentioned. Certain aspects of the late war years, Edith Stein, for example, who wrote her doctorate under philosophical practice are in direct continuity with patterns set in the nine Husserl, demanded the right to be accepted for the Habilitation degree, and teenth century. For instance, the academic professfonalisation and specialisati wrote letters to the Education ministry in an attempt to force reluctant acade on of philosophy that began in the early nineteenth century (usually dated to mic professors to take on women.3 Hannah Arendt was prevented from com Kant) becomes pervasive in the twentieth, with the end of the 'man of letters' pleting her Habilitation because she was Jewish. Simone de Beauvoir attended (Descartes. Leibniz, Hume). Scholarly interest in the history of philosophy also the Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris in the twenties, and ElizabethAnscombe becomes completely professionalized (stimulated largely by Hegel's interest in was a stUdent of Wittgenstein in the forties, but it was not until after the the subject) and has been carried to new heights in the twentieth century. Second World War that women began to graduate in philosophy in large num bers and to enter the profession. While the critical review of the history of philosophy begins with Aristotle, and there are many ancient compendia of philosophical posItions, e.g. Cicero and The Reaction to Idealism German philosophy provided the dominant inspiration in European thought 2 Routledge has devoted three volumes In its HIstory 0/PhlloJophyserles but two volumes·deal wah analyUc during the nineteenth century. The first half of the nineteenth century in Ger- philosophy (seen as the dominant tradltlon -Including epl~lemology, metaphysics, philosophy of lan guage. ethlrs, philosophy of sdence) whereas one volume-edited by RIchard J(eatney dealt with Contlnen· tal philosophy. The opportunity to compare and contrast was lost by thIs dedslon to go for separate studies of the traditions. A useful oolletllon of arlltles on the analytic tradition Is Juliet Ployd and Sanford Shieh,

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