Date of Defense
4-24-2015
Date of Graduation
5-2015
Department
History
First Advisor
Dini Metro-Roland
Second Advisor
Wilson Warren
Abstract
This paper attempts to find the purpose of education and resolve if critical thinking can be taught in education. To answer this question the paper uses Hannah Arendt’s seminal piece The Human Condition, her political essays Between Past and Future, and her journalistic controversy Eichmann in Jerusalem to formulate Arendt’s view on education. Julia Annas’ book Intelligent Virtue gives this work a framework for how one learns a virtue. Alasdair MacIntyre’s After Virtue provides the theory for how one grounds the virtues by continuing a version of Aristolean virtue ethics. While this work does not directly use Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle’s theory of virtue ethics is used by both Annas and MacIntyre, thus Aristotle has a strong influence over this work. The paper develops a world through the eyes of Arendt and theorizes Arendt’s idea of education and its purpose. But, because of Arendt’s undeveloped idea of critical thinking, Virtue Ethics are combined to give a framework for what critical thinking is and how one learns to critically think. Thus showing that Arendt and Virtue Ethics are compatible and compliant each other in developing an idea of education.
Recommended Citation
Bellinger, Benjamin, "The Insights of Hannah Arendt and Virtue Ethics on Education" (2015). Honors Theses. 2559.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/honors_theses/2559
Access Setting
Honors Thesis-Open Access
Defense Presentation