Philosophy. An increasingly important topic, I think, on its way to becoming indispensable both in schools in curriculum and at workplace as part of lifelong learning. Particularly in a milieu of digitalization and sustainability discussions in business. The inclusion of philosophy resonates strongly with me as the business world transforms.
Given the advent of AI, the need for philosophy to be embedded into learning is an important step. The topics of digitalization and sustainability are not purely business topics but are deeply philosophical as they transform professions, business and ultimately society itself. The solutions to real world problems require critical thinking skills, value analysis and ethical reflection which are what philosophy can help provide. These tie in with 21st century skills which we already know are important. Philosophy can become that tool to develop these skills alongside content.
We finally have room and space to ground philosophical thinking in real practice, especially when AI is already helping us to make the spreadsheets and edit the reports! What LLMs cannot do for us is contemplate on important topics the canons (western and non-western) have traditionally sought to answer! AI has arose out of philosophical discussions! Luckily, or unluckily depending on your perspective, contemplation and grounding philosophical thinking (still) remains the realm of being a human.
But the canonical approach to doing philosophy is not everyone’s (or rather most peoples’) cup of tea! The western canon, for instance, comprises of the official and accepted set of works and hence principles of a number of prominent philosophers considered fundamental and authoritative, starting with the Greeks, the three big ones being Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, and the “big seven” often discussed, namely, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume and Kant. The works are academic and daunting even for those who study and spend all their time ‘doing’ philosophy. The non-western philosophies being even more obscure in this part of the world!
What is interesting is how this canon and others from non-western traditions, have become the basis for popular philosophy. If you need to design sustainable products, reflect on use of AI, lead multicultural teams and make responsible business decisions in the confines of regulation and compliance, a more digestible way to access philosophy is by keeping the essence of important writers and their texts and ideas, but presenting them in a more contemporary way, in that process allowing areas for discussion.
Popular philosophy is philosophy one finds in books like ‘Sophie’s World’, on social media sites such as YouTube. It connects the big questions like “What is truth?” “What is a just society?” “What is a good life?” to professional practise, where we have to ask ourselves questions like “Can this alternative consumer data be used for assessment for debt provision?” “Can we sell this product in the face of energy crisis?” “Do we really want to encourage fast fashion at the cost of X?” “How can our company be more responsible to all stakeholders?”
Likewise, like how popular philosophy has brought philosophy to many via readable books and online content, philosophy can also be brought into classrooms and companies as part and package of (skills) training, probably set to become a necessary part of learning and development overall.
Vind ik leuk
Over Kiran Aswani
Exploration of human nature has been a lifelong interest, and gathering the knowledge and deeper understanding of the world, a constant pursuit. Having lived on four continents and having been exposed to so many places and persons, I find myself even more curious, and with a heightened awareness. In Fontys, I teach finance and accounting in the International Business program. My blog is an exercise in critical thinking, looking at the intersection between finance-education-life.