Philosophy Faculty Publications and Presentations
Teaching Ethics, Happiness, and The Good Life: An Upbuilding Discourse in the Spirits of Soren Kierkegaard and John Dewey
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
2018
Abstract
This essay narrates what I have learned from Søren Kierkegaard & John Dewey about teaching philosophy. It consists of three sections: 1) a Deweyan pragmatist’s translation of Kierkegaard’s religious insights on Christianity, as a way of life, into ethical insights on philosophy, as a way of life; 2) a brief description of the introductory course that I teach most frequently: Ethics, Happiness, & The Good Life; and 3) an exploration of three spiritual exercises from the course: a) self-cultivation by means of writing in an Ethics Notebook, b) an “existential experiment” in which we practice one of Aristotle’s virtues for a week, and c) a 15-hour service-learning component.
Recommended Citation
Stehn, Alexander (2018). Teaching Ethics, Happiness, and The Good Life: An Upbuilding Discourse in the Spirits of Soren Kierkegaard and John Dewey. In Steven M. Cahn, Alexandra Bradner & Andrew P. Mills (eds.), Philosophers in the Classroom: Essays on Teaching. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company. pp. 170-184.
Publication Title
Philosophers in the Classroom: Essays on Teaching