Finding Philosophy in the Composition Classroom
I have a Bachelor's Degree in philosophy. When I began teaching composition, I gravitated toward philosophical essays as examples for my students. At first, the students were resistant to the idea. After all, this was a writing class, not a philosophy class. But after the first few classes, I saw that my students loved the ideas brought forth in these essays. I have found that philosophical essays can be used to show students not only how to structure their own essays, but also how to think - and really think about issues. I have used syllogisms and basic logic to prepare students for argument papers, and I have used Nietzsche's discussion of the Industrial Revolution to introduce students to how technology affects their lives. This presentation will demonstrate how philosophy can be used to reach Comp students on a different, and sometimes deeper level.
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