Pop culture in the philosophy classroom

[franceslievens]

"Teaching philosophy with Spider-Man"

Snip:

For years, fans of the Batman comics have puzzled over a mystery at the heart of the series: why doesn't Batman just kill his arch-nemesis, the murderous Joker?
The two have engaged in a prolonged game of cat-and-mouse. The Joker commits a crime, Batman catches him, the Joker is locked up, and then invariably escapes.
Wouldn't all this be much simpler if Batman just killed the Joker? What's stopping him?
Enter philosopher Immanuel Kant and the deontological theory of ethics.
Continue reading the main story
At least, that's how the discussion progresses in a growing number of philosophy classes in the US.

One point of critique: this is about introductory philosophy courses at American universities. I'd rather have these kids being introduced to this kind of moral dilemmas in high school or even earlier. The question whether Spider-Man is morally obliged to be a superhero is something I ask my sixth formers (11 and 12 year old kids). Their answers and arguments are only rudimentary, but they get a flavour for the difficult questions that crop up in the world, and hopefully will become passionate enough to form their own ideas.

Comments

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

I guess they don't teach philosophy (or even only morality) in secondary schools in the US...

I received your card today. Thank you for the bookplates!

*bisous*

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

No they don't, but it's a way of looking at the world that can be smuggled into English or literature courses, but isn't. In fact the university students they are talking about here are undergrads and college students. What they have learned at their high school is a lot less than (or maybe just different from) what our French and Belgian students know when they leave secondary school.

And you're welcome. :-) *bisous*