The Dialectic of a Philosophical Education

This book provides an account, both theoretical and phenomenological, of the education offered by philosophy. Specifically, it examines the three distinct moments that make up the practice of philosophical study: reading, writing, and discussion. By considering each moment in turn, the author explores how philosophical learning creates opportunities for what Hannah Arendt described as “the gift of thinking poetically” and suggests that the dynamic and nonlinear relationship between these moments is what constitutes the dialectic of a philosophical education.

Grounded in years of practice and offering scholarly commentary throughout, this shortform book will appeal to students and philosophers of education, as well as those with interests in teaching and learning more broadly.