Philosophy, Teaching and the Social Sciences: Philosophy Forums

Philosophy, Teaching and the Social Sciences

brussel4
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Posted 07/02/09 - 06:38 AM: Subject: Philosophy, Teaching and the Social Sciences	#1
I was fortunate in my undergradute career to have professors who taught original authors and not textbooks about authors. I found that struggling through Classic, Medieval, Early Modern, Modern and Post-Modern thinkers in the original texts had deep benefits that went beyond simply the subject matter. After graduation for various reasons I decided to enter a field that is considered a branch of social science. I love to teach and look forward to teaching in the not so distant future but I have a problem with the fundamental approach of my professors in this field. The problem is that instead of utilizing the tough, rigorous and demanding texts of the authors in the field they used textbooks that in my opinion missed some of the meat of the discipline. Don't get me wrong, I love my field, but I wish it could be approached in a more philosophic manner. By this I mean taking the original texts from the field and working through them, not working through simply a textbook written by someone else. I would love to hear your thoughts, comments, objections, or concerns!

wuliheron
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Posted 07/02/09 - 09:51 AM:	#2
You are not alone, a study of physics text books (done the in 1990s I believe) uncovered multiple gross errors. Around this same time publishers also managed to buy control over several of the periodicals used as reputable sources for publishing physics research papers and jacked their prices through the ceiling. For better and for worse the Ivory Towers are becoming big business. Just how big is difficult to say, however the original Manhattan Project that developed the atom bomb was as large as all the auto manufacturers in the US combined. That first two fist sized chunk of enriched uranium costing a cool billion in 1945 dollars.

brussel4
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Posted 07/02/09 - 10:32 AM:	#3
Wow. I was not considering it from the angle that there might be errors but good point. I concur completely that the textbook monopoly seems out of control. The profit-making incentive has usurped rationality in this department it seems.

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