Halesowen College Visit

Well, despite the excitment and chaos of a minor earthquake (which don't phase those of us who sleep through them - see previous earthquake entry..), I made it to Halesowen College today to talk about various exciting things: thanks for the warm welcome.

The first session, on Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil, intriguing - as this can be quite a heavy topic - but I think we made some progress... The essay at http://www.mala.bc.ca/~johnstoi/introser/nietzs.htm may give some extra food for thought. And of course the works of my esteemed colleague Dr Roy Jackson can illuminate on the links between Nietzsche and Islam, or help you begin to study Nietzsche...

In the second session we talked (mainly me actually) about moral dilemmas (such as those at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4954856.stm) and tried to think we might actually face - and the small decisions we make everyday - and their moral implications (click HERE for more on cheap clothes and their implications). The Omelas short story can be followed up HERE.

For those who thought I was a little tough on Utilitarianism (I have been accused of this) - you can redress the balance at http://www.utilitarian.net/

Cheers, Dave

Finham Park School Visit

Well - fresh back from another enjoyable school visit. Today I was just south of Coventry to talk about the Problem of Evil and Ethics (esp Utilitarianism). The group there had lots to say - and it was good to see so many people engaging with Philosophy and Religious ideas.

Many of the links at http://r-p-e.blogspot.com/2008/02/malmesbury-school-visit.html will be useful - as I provide some links there re the Omelas short story - and to a list of ethical dilemmas.

I am also interested in the notion that ethics has some, but rather hard to define (and in some cases spot) impact on those that study it. This topics is one we have discussed at http://r-p-e.blogspot.com/2007/02/ethical-decisions-and-study-of.html - though new comments are welcome.

Oh - and if you can't get enough on the Problem of Evil -see the links at http://www.rsweb.org.uk/phil/evil.html

Hope the class there enjoyed the material as much as I enjoyed the visit.
Cheers,
Dave

Sir, Sir, it's a causal fallacy: School Uniform and politics...

So - we have seen a call from the Conservative Party for schools to enforce smart uniforms, have pupils stand when teachers enter the room, and call them Sir and Miss (or like some,perhaps, Madam).

The argument seems to run that good schools have uniforms / formal aspects: therefore the goodness of the schools must be a function of the dress of the pupils and the formal relation with teachers. (It may also be that the proponents of such a view have memories of their own formal schooling and the relative quality of the experience - but the principle is the same).

It looks here - to me - like a good old-fashioned causal fallacy. Without evidence that the uniforms and formal means of address have a causal connection to the behaviour / attainment of pupils - the connection could surely be either coincidental, or both could be the effects of some other, third cause...

Now - I was schooled in the 70s and 80s, and have, possibly as a result of liberal social conditioning, a deep aversion to school uniforms: but when I raise this in classes - my students all seem in favour of them - as do the parents of many of those at the same schools as my children: what's going on in the world?

Is school uniform really a good thing? Why? Can anyone tell me good reasons for it?

Religious Dress back in the News: Sikh Girl Excluded from School

The BBC (and many others) report this case of a girl excluded for refusing to take off a bangle which she considers part of her Sikh faith.
Read the story at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/7081573.stm

While the BBC has its usual ranting site at http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=3792&edition=1&ttl=20071107145207 I thought maybe some of the readers of this blog would like to comment here:
- should a school have a uniform policy that bans all religious expression?
- should it have uniform at all?
- should this pupil be allowed back - is she right to hold firm to her belief that she must wear this item?

I look forward to comments...
Dave