Teaching Against Idiocy

1
Teaching Against Idiocy

• Walter C. Parker

2
When reading texts, you need to

• Understand
• What is the text trying to say?
• What are the key concepts employed?
• What do those key concepts mean?
• How are those concepts structured to form the
  argument?
• Evaluate
• Is the argument internally consistent?
• Does outside evidence have bearing on the
  argument?
• Does the text answer any objections?

3
Whats the problem?

• Were a bunch of idiots.

4
Why is it a problem?

• What is an idiot?
• Why is it bad to be an idiot?

5
What are we supposed to do about all these idiots?
6
What are we supposed to do about the problem?

• Whats Parkers thesis?
• Schools in societies that are trying in various
  ways to be democracies . . . are obliged to
  develop public citizens. I argue here that
  schools are well positioned for that task. . .
• What does he mean by public citizens?
• How is a citizen different from an idiot?

7
Why are schools the best place to create citizens?

• Schools are public places.

8
How can schools create citizens?

• Diversity and deliberation
• Academic and social curriculum