Peirce on Education: Nurturing the First Rule of Reason

Abstract

Through an exegetic reading of Peirce's minor texts on higher education, I find that Peirce's conception of a ''Liberal Education'' is close to the Herbartian conception of Bildung. Peirce calls for a general education with the ambition of qualifying critical thinkers with the capacity to go beyond the strict rules and narrow borders of the artes liberales, -the different subject matters or sciences taught at a university. Thus, Peirce's conception of a liberal education is closely linked to his interpretation of common sense -or sensis communis -as a critical commonsensism. To him, it is urgent to educate and nurture ''the first rule of reason,'' described as a will to learn, a curiosity, a dissatisfaction of what you already incline to think, and an intense desire to find things out. The nurturing of this ''first rule of reason'' is thus about educating an intellectual community of critical thinkers who are able to question authoritative beliefs, knowing how to debunk them, and how to turn away from obiter dictum.

What critical thinking and for what?

“…"As political geographers engaged in teaching about 'the world,' we try to equip our students with a critical lens with which they can begin to see the world as it is actively spatialized, divided up, labelled, sorted out into a hierarchy of places of greater or lesser 'importance' by political geographers, other academics and political leaders" (Agnew, 1998). Similar thoughts on the purpose of higher education and studies are shared by representatives of humanities (Kreber, 2014), education science (Crème, 1999;Lim, 2011;Tiruneh et al, 2016), art (Belluigi, 2009;Strand, 2005), life sciences (Raveendram & Chunavala, 2015). Thus, students' ability to analyse phenomena in wider contexts, to consider the matters of power and influence, to question the established order give a political dimension to critical thinking (Baildon & Sim, 2009).…”

“…The interpersonal aspect of critical thinking is expanded by a general need for the development of a common human relationship and staying in it meaningfully by sharing thoughts, ideas, doubts, critical assessment of themselves and the environment. A major part of the analysed articles refers to critical reflection and self-reflection as expression of the critical thinking competence and a way to improve it (Jones, 2005;Malcom, 2006;Pascarella et al, 2013;Strand, 2005) while being in an interactive relationship with others. In the second case it is referred to as a much broader interpersonal relationship.…”

Towards a Plastic Starting Point: Rethinking Ethical-Political Education with Catherine Malabou

“…This thesis hinges on three fundamental assumptions: Bildung has to be continually rethought; such a rethinking should explore fundamental assumptions in Bildung; and these assumptions must be challenged if required. First, insofar as Bildung is thought to happen temporally, and temporality and change imply each other, the thinking of Bildung has to be constantly renewed in order to find relevance and critical power in the current and future society (Strand, 2005). Second, insofar as Bildung is a phenomenon in the sense mentioned above, its fundamental aspects (in this thesis change, power, temporality) need to be rethought from a position that takes the question of the human into account (Reichenbach, 2003).…”

Peirce and Education, an Overview

“…This "first rule of reason" is an intellectual interest, a curiosity, a dissatisfaction with what one already inclines to think, a wish to find things out, an aspiration to learn, and a passionate longing for understanding (Strand 2005). In many ways this pure motive is the only requirement for genuine education:…”