Philosophy is one of the oldest sciences, which allows you to delve into the essence of things around a person. In a literal translation from ancient Greek, the word "philosopher" means "a person who loves to think," and the word "philosophy" means "love of wisdom." History knows many people who knew how to think and saw this as their life calling. Today, this can be learned, the main thing is to have the necessary inclinations and desire. A person who is ready to connect his life with philosophy can always find a place for himself in modern society and help others master this science.
From this article it will be possible to learn about the features of teaching philosophy as a profession. And also the article will tell you where to start studying philosophy and how to become a good teacher in this area for a person who has a craving for a unique and very interesting science.
The role of science in modern society
Philosophy is based on a person's knowledge of the depth of the entire universe. The modern form of this unique science is very different from its early forms, but there is only one thing that has been relevant to philosophy for many centuries - the formulation of exciting questions regarding being, and the search foranswers to them.
The subject of studying philosophy is understanding the essence of things around a person, therefore, when studying this science, it is important to be able to interpret concepts without distorting them.
To put it down to earth, philosophy can teach a person to think, search for ideals and fight prejudice, which is of particular importance in the formation of thinking in adolescents.
Most often, the subjects of the study of philosophy are society as a whole and people individually. Therefore, the need to study this science is hard to underestimate, since it is very important for modern people to learn to understand themselves and others in order to feel comfortable in society and not disturb the harmony of life.
Profession "philosopher" - what is it?
From the point of view of professional activity, a philosopher is a specialist whose activity is to study, conduct research and teach students one of the most ancient sciences - philosophy.
A person who has received a basic liberal arts education in this field can work in various professional fields. When studying at the faculties of philosophy, the student is given the opportunity to ultimately choose a specific specialization in the direction of which he will develop and deepen his own knowledge. These specializations are also called areas of philosophy. For example, such a speci alty as "social philosophy" enables a person to work in legal and political structures, as well as to conduct scientific andresearch activity. But in order to get a job, it is not at all necessary to choose a narrow speci alty, since when choosing a general speci alty, many philosophy graduates are able to correctly interpret information, which is very much appreciated by employers.
If a person decides to choose philosophy as the main direction in his work, then the best option for him would be such a profession as a teacher of philosophy in a higher educational institution.
Relevance of the profession
For many years, the profession of philosophy teacher has been quite in demand. This phenomenon is due to the fact that modern philosophy courses are designed to expand the consciousness of people, regardless of what profession they have. That is why such a discipline as philosophy is introduced to almost all students of higher educational institutions.
Pros and cons of this profession
Like any job, teaching philosophy has its positives and negatives.
The positive aspects of the profession include the following points:
- Structural thinking. During training and work in the direction of philosophy, a person is able to develop this remarkable quality in himself, thanks to which all information coming from outside takes the necessary form, and it becomes easy to manage. This allows you to cut off unnecessary information garbage.
- Broad-minded. teachersphilosophies are people who have to delve into many areas of human life in order to study them in depth in order to find answers to life's questions. This allows brain activity to be in constant tone.
- Developed skill of correct presentation and interpretation of information. Any information is a certain set of elements that together give a person the opportunity to realize certain facts. A teacher of philosophy throughout his career learns to present information in the way in which it should be understood by the audience. This is a very important moment in the activity of a philosopher, since, in general, information may not change for many centuries, but the ability to perceive it by other people is formatted according to the conditions in which they are. This feature of the profession allows a teacher of philosophy to find new ways to bring information to listeners or students, which, in the case of sincere love for one's work, gives a person the opportunity to constantly improve himself.
The negative aspects of the profession are:
- Emotional load. A philosophy teacher is a person who is in constant communication with people, which often leads to emotional exhaustion. In order to reduce the influence of this factor, one should develop the necessary personal qualities, which will be discussed a little later.
- Information overload. As noted above, people who connect their lives with teachingphilosophy as a discipline, one has to process a lot of different literature on philosophy, and sometimes even literature that is not related to objective activity. It often happens that the flow of information gives a big load, which only the ability to systematize all the accumulated knowledge and constantly incoming information will help to cope with.
What personal qualities do you need to have
A teacher of philosophy must have a certain set of personal qualities, without which it will be extremely difficult for him to teach students and conduct his work. This list includes the following qualities:
- poise;
- thoughtfulness;
- the desire to expand their own horizons;
- interest in the humanities;
- the ability to listen to other people's thoughts and take other people's positions;
- the ability to correctly and clearly formulate one's own thoughts;
- constant search for something new in science, the desire to find answers to difficult life questions;
- sociability.
What abilities should a philosophy teacher develop?
Besides personal qualities, people who teach philosophy should develop in themselves various abilities that help them in their work. There are two main abilities here:
- Oratory and artistry. Each teacher must be able to interest the audience so that the information coming from his mouth is heard and understood by students. Laborteaching is a real art. For example, paintings or musical compositions are created in close cooperation between the author and the people who perform in front of the audience. A teacher is also an artist who must be able to win the hearts of students in order for the lecture process to be interesting and accessible, because otherwise science will not be so exciting.
- The ability to find contact with people. Each person is individual, and sometimes it is difficult for a teacher to convey information to students, because not always an ideal knowledge of the material presented in philosophy textbooks makes a person a good teacher. It is very important here to feel what students really need and how education should be built.
What pedagogical basics do you need to know?
It is important for every teacher not just to conduct a philosophy lesson, but to understand the significance of the material presented. This will help to convey to students, especially those who study philosophy while studying, for example, banking, that an educated person simply must have a broad outlook in order to achieve any high results in life.
It is also important to communicate with the audience in their language and illustrate certain points in a format that will be understood by a certain circle of people.
Who else can work in this speci alty?
In addition to higher educational institutions, the doors of scientific institutes, various publishing houses and the media are always open to a highly qualified philosopher. It's in demandspeci alty.
Allied professions
Under certain conditions, a person with a basic education in philosophy can complete a master's degree in any of the related areas, which in the future makes it possible to master an additional profession. A number of such related types include cultural studies, journalism, political science, management and psychology.
It is worth noting that receiving additional education significantly expands the horizons and capabilities of a person teaching philosophy, and allows him to start writing research papers.
Opportunity to conduct research in philosophy
Each qualified teacher who studies and teaches this subject can not only be a historian and bring to students the information contained in textbooks on philosophy, but also engage in research work and write their own works. But in order to devote oneself to the study of not yet fully mastered moments in science, initial experience in this area is necessary.
Where and how much do you need to study to become a teacher of philosophy? Top Universities
Today, this training profile is one of the classics, and there are departments of philosophy in any major humanitarian university.
In this direction, there are a huge number of programs and speci alties that help students test themselves in this environment. During the training, students undergo practical training and internships, which allows them to deepen their knowledge.
You can get an education in the field of philosophy for further employment both full-time and part-time under the bachelor's program, and you can also enter the master's program upon graduation. In general, training, taking into account the master's degree, will take 6 years.
The best universities that prepare future specialists in the field of philosophy are the following:
- Moscow State University. M. V. Lomonosov.
- Peoples' Friendship University of Russia.
- State Academic University for the Humanities.
- Moscow State Pedagogical University.
- Russian State University for the Humanities.
- St. Petersburg State University.
It is worth noting that these universities conduct retraining of teachers of philosophy, which every practicing teacher periodically needs.
What entrance exams do I need to pass to enter the Faculty of Philosophy?
Each institution has its own requirements for enrolling applicants for their study of philosophy, but there is a certain set of disciplines, the knowledge of which will increase the chances of admission.
Such disciplines include:
- social studies;
- history;
- Russian and foreign language.
Also, a preliminary visit to a tutor in philosophy can increase the chances of an applicant's admission.
