Should epistemology be taught in schools?

[Telekinetic-Potato]

A more academic definition would be:

The theory of knowledge, especially with regard to its methods, validity, and scope. Epistemology is the investigation of what distinguishes justified belief from opinion.

A definition that might be easier to understand:

Often defined as "justified true belief". It investigates how we know, the justification of beliefs, and limits of human understanding. Key concepts include truth, belief, and evidence, with major theories being rationalism, empiricism, and skepticism. The term derives from Greek episteme (knowledge) and logos (reason).

[MrChinaski]

Great question!

My children have been taking the International Baccalaureate as their final 2-year high school graduation curriculum. The IB is explicitly designed to prepare students for college education. (In contrast to the local curriculum which seems designed to give little Johnny a piece of paper so that he can graduate and stop clogging up school resources. I exagerate, slightly.) A graduation requirement for the IB is a low-intensity two-year 'theory of knowledge' course, culminating in a 1600 word essay. They seem to have enjoyed it.

I think this is the right cohort to target epistemology at: top 40% say of high school achievers in their final years. If you don't have a good grasp of the required knowledge... starting with reading, writing and arithmetic into English, Maths, Science, History... then teaching students how they don't know what they don't know seems, to me, to be a waste of time.

Side note: If you are wondering about the quality of the IB program, all you need to know is that Putin banned its use in Russia last year. Apparently there was concern that high school students may actually learn something more sophisticated than the skill of propaganda-swallowing embodied in the domestic Russian school curriculum. Enough said.

[Telekinetic-Potato]

Honestly that program sounds awesome. I hope I have kids I can put through it one day 😂

A 1600 word essay is very reasonable. I love it's not asking for something ridiculously long winded. That already signals competence to me to be honest

[HawkPerception]

It definitely should. And I definitely don't remember it being taught in schools. They taught math, science, and language, which are close to understanding logic, but are still just memorizing for the most part. Writing essays using MLA format was probably the closest thing to training logic. You had to come up with points which justify your argument. And that is key. There are too many people I've witnessed who are incapable of that. But they need to take it a step further and show people how to identify their own flaws in their logic, and being open minded to the other side. That seems to be more of an intellectual trait that not everyone has.

[Telekinetic-Potato]

I hated those mla formats 😂 it took me so long to fill out the sources (because I would use so many) my teachers would say they're great sources but did you even use this one and I'd have to explain that the only way I could finish on time was fill that part out first and it's actually kind of a logistical challenge to manage 15+ sources and make sure you're attributing each individual fact to each source when a lot of what you learn is pieced together from 2 or 3 sources so you have to go back and find the exact place you got that line of thought from.

And that's when they explained to me you can get away with being a little lazy with that stuff if you take honors and I was like ooohhhhh

[TwoDecisions]

This is already implemented in the teachings within most subjects and from a young age. Without this capability you will not pass your first schoolings. Memorisation is not enough, but you're forced to actually work with the subjects at hand. At least in civilised countries, I can see you're not so fortunate to be located in one. If your true to your "profile", I'm not.

[Telekinetic-Potato]

I live in the U. S in New Jersey. My entire gripe with the school system since I was a kid was that the school rewarded morons who memorized things and did nothing for people to learn common sense, inference, investigation skills.

Even the way they teach math. I got sent to the office for asking the mechanics of why the pythagorean theorem worked. Missed the entire class leading up to the test and kinda just logically figured it out using the other answers in the test. I got the highest score in the class.

I'm not saying it to brag, it's a very embarrassing story honestly because no developed country should be treating education this way.

I agree with you in the sense your statement SHOULD be true but where I'm from the opposite is true.

[purplepoppy]

In theory it should be embedded in all lessons but these days kids would just dismiss it as brainwashing because some youtuber said so.

I think it's something that needs drip fed into kids from a young age alongside basic logical thinking so it comes naturally to them.

[Telekinetic-Potato]

I've never agreed with you more

[AI Opinion]

Teaching epistemology in schools can be highly beneficial. It encourages critical thinking, helping students understand how beliefs are formed and justified. By exploring different theories like rationalism and empiricism, students learn to evaluate evidence and distinguish between belief and opinion. This enhances their problem-solving skills and broadens their perspective. Introducing epistemology as part of a broader curriculum fosters intellectual curiosity and prepares students to navigate complex information critically in an ever-evolving world. Its inclusion can support the development of thoughtful, informed citizens.

[ArrowheadSW]

Yes I think teaching it in schools would be a great idea. It would help with critical thinking skills.

[AngryCarl3]

Kids can barely read and write and have the attention span of a fruit fly. But if you think you can teach them epistemology I wish you good luck.

[Telekinetic-Potato]

I mean, I would argue that in the context of children it's learning to understand consequences which them "not being able to learn" is probably ultimately a consequence of.

In other words not teaching this is the root. When I was a little kid they taught us to read a map. They'd say stuff like "what if you're in the middle of nowhere and your reception suddenly goes out. That happened to me and we were so scared in the woods." You better believe I learned to read maps real good.

Hey, why do i have to circle the logs on this paper to show it goes with fire and not the water.

"Because it's meant to help exercise your brain and if you don't do it you're going to have conversations when you get older that will make you sound stupid even if you aren't"

I was like "oh, got it" I focused so hard on those afterwords. Which made me focus on reading and math comprehension.

I think the teachers are just stupid and the curriculum is made by people who aren't qualified wither professionally or by design of the system.

[AngryCarl3]

You're probably right.

[ohsheeT]

Why not everything that they teach now adays. Are not true or things have been left out of the books we read to makes us think different anyway

And then they fail the kid because in his book reports he did the work found the real truth and answers and they held him back a grade or 2

[DishLady]

Critical thinking IS taught in schools, which is the prequel to hard/core epistemological studies run in college classrooms (though even at the college level some instructors teach it poorly).

[Telekinetic-Potato]

I feel like from what I can remember, reading and math comprehension was the beginning middle and end of that and most people sucked at it.

[DryGermanGuy]

In layman terms, media competency! 🧐

[Telekinetic-Potato]

Probably, yea. Maybe that's why the conglomerations who decide what gets taught in schools seemingly drop the ball here.

Not that anyone's ready for that conversation

[qwerty2469]

No. The only thing that should be taught in school is how to be a good socialist slave.

[beefcakebradybatson]

Yes, and especially in today's "Know Nothing Save Being An Obedient Follower Of King Donald The First" Age!!!

[NathanDavis]

it is, taught in schools...

[Telekinetic-Potato]

I asked this question a few minutes after learning this word existed.

[NathanDavis]

just because something is taught at school... doesn't mean it is actually learned by the alumni... it happens, lol

[Telekinetic-Potato]

maaayyybeeee 🤔

[In_Trance]

Pretty sure it's already covered