Somewhat ironically, I enjoyed this article for the very reason I lambasted the past article. This is, again, an essay that harkens to the ideas of prominent modern theorists to buoy its own argument. However, in this article, the emphasis is on reflective thinking to outline our philosophical methodologies. Students \u201cby naming their ways of thinking and writing as philosophical research methods, \u2026 made these ways of thinking and writing available for explicit consideration.\u201d (p. 315)<\/p>\n
In the past article, I had no intention of deriding the importance and validity of significant historical and modern philosophers and thinkers, rather I cautioned against using them as foundational struts to validate and acclaim our new philosophies.<\/p>\n
This article differs from the last because it encourages us to substantiate our methods of thought through reflection on those tendencies themselves. Prominent philosophers have contributed a wealth to the corpus of theory regarding thought, tendencies and methodologies, to ignore their contributions when creating our own, and developing a unique perspective on the nature of consciousness would be a decidedly \u2018unlazy\u2019 approach.<\/p>\n
Due to the nature of this article as an introduction to a larger text, it is hard to draw any deeper conclusions. However, as a philosophy of approach to research, it does make valuable points.<\/p>\n
By critically analyzing our thought processes and viewing how our conclusions are reached, we are able to substantiate our ideas with the greater collective of philosophical work.<\/p>\n
I also appreciate Ruitenberg\u2019s method of engaging \u201cin a very deliberate performative speech act that sought to bring about what it seemed to describe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Throughout this course I have discussed the connection between teaching and learning, and observed how structures put into place during instruction are reflected again in the learner. Instruction developed from an authoritative text that highlights key information will contribute towards a rote learning environment. Ruitenberg\u2019s performative speech is reflective of this same connection between instructional methodologies and how learning takes place.<\/p>\n
Considering our thought process and how we derive our understanding is an essential part of becoming a critical thinker. It is easy to see correlatives of this approach in modern educational theory, and the continued emphasis on reflective practice among both students and teachers (in fact all educationalists).<\/p>\n