Think about World Philosophy Day

Despite continually proclaiming the importance of educating young Australians, our political leaders all seem to have overlooked the fact that Thursday, November 20, 2008 is World Philosophy Day. It is a day that we should not allow to pass by unmarked.

In my article "Australia: a nation at risk" I referred to Future Directions' call in 2007 to strengthen our Australian identity. In "Australia 2050: An Examination of Australia's Condition, Outlook, and Options for the First Half of the 21st Century", they suggested that:

... given the reality that globalisation and wealth creation have ensured that society's focus is increasingly in the short term, it is essential - if Australian society is indeed to prosper as a unified nation-state until 2050 and beyond - that Australians understand how they will sustain their societal spiritual values in an environment of enormous secular pressure ... History has shown, for example, a withering of spiritual values in times of great secular distraction: rising wealth, short term focus on material gain, etc. But will society be ready to return to (or have the core memory and structures) a recognisable spiritual set of values and hierarchy when times become less easy and more challenging?

Less easy and more challenging times are now upon us, and the difficulties and challenges we face are likely to increase.

Seduced by the carefully engineered neo-liberal push, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once said that “There's no such thing as society, there are individual men and women”. Although she later relented to allow for families, Thatcher’s polarisation of individuals and society completely failed to give any weight to culture. Regrettably, our political leaders have followed a similar, although ostensibly more moderate, neo-liberal path. They have also failed to understand what culture is, why it is important and the critical role government plays in creating circumstances whereby culture can be developed and nurtured.

Faced with the worst economic conditions since the  Great Depression of the 1930s - and without cultural or social cohesion - it is no surprise that we are hearing and reading more about Australians seeking a sense of purpose. Fed by the media and advertising industries, many Australians try to fabricate their own identity by having “that” job, buying “that” car, wearing “that” watch, or living in “that” house. So what happens to their sense of identity when the job evaporates and the kitty is dry?

Strength is the redeeming virtue in adversity, but modern life has encouraged a nation of self-centred, consumption oriented "sheep" rather than creative and critical thinkers with real inner strength. Do people nowadays really possess the internal resources and personal skills which would allow us to face and overcome the difficulties that confront us?

The problem doesn’t just affect adults. Our children see our deficiencies and feel the same uneasiness.

In their report “Children's fears, hopes and heroes - modern childhood in Australia”, Joe Tucci, Janise Mitchell and Professor Chris Goddard noted of children and young people aged between 10 - 14 years:

...Children’s sense of their place in the world is under threat. Children are particularly concerned about the environment. Over a half of the children surveyed are worried about not having enough water. Just over four in ten (44 per cent) are nervous about the future impact of climate change and 43 per cent of children are worried about air and water pollution. Many are also concerned about the escalating tension in world affairs. Almost a third of children (31 per cent) are worried that they will have to fight in a war when they get much older. More than a third (36 per cent) are apprehensive about terrorism. A quarter of children are so troubled about the state of the world that they honestly believe it will come to an end before they get older.

...Over a third (36 per cent) believed that adults do not care about what children think....
 
According to the report, children believed that adults show little concern or respect for their views and opinions. Children should be consulted about what the world should be like. And adults should listen to what they say.

Children and young people deserve to be heard by us as much as we need to hear them, and to have an effective voice they need the capacity to think critically about the world and their place in it. Solutions to the problems of the 21st Century will not come except from a generation of critical and creative thinkers. Recent research has shown that children learn to think critically by learning to look at and think about art; so our first step must be to inculcate the arts, music and dance into the life of every child. 
 
All prejudices and most fears are born out of ignorance. Therefore the most important catalyst for change is education, which begins with the capacity for critical thought. The ability to read, write and think critically can empower people not only nationally but all over the world.

Laptop computers may be handy and entertaining gadgets but they don't teach children how to think! Philosophy does; it gives young people a capacity for understanding that leads to real knowledge. In turn this promotes the self-esteem needed to develop an interest in seeking out wisdom or greater meaning for themselves; rather than just accepting the status quo. Philosophy combines people’s curiosity with their creativity, and the results - as the statewide HSC art displays demonstrate every year - can be spectacular.
 
A generation of curious and creative Australians may well ask:
 
• Why is war still seen as a solution in the 21st Century?
• Why is power either conceded by or taken from people?
• Can a balance ever really be struck between the environment and economic growth?
• How can the Maslow pyramid be inverted so that people have food, shelter and warmth and more time to think about the world we live in and how best to preserve it?
• What did Prime Minister Rudd mean when he said “...A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility...”? How will he execute his plan for “...A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia.”
• What is the right thing to do? and
• What are my real needs, and how can I best satisfy them in a responsible way?
 
Which brings me back to World Philosophy Day. It couldn't have a better pedigree. Ben Chifley, the famous Labor Prime Minister, led Australia to join UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) on November 4, 1946 as one of its first UN Member States. UNESCO has instituted World Philosophy Day to take place in honour of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights.

Given Prime Minister Rudd’s call for a responsible and egalitarian future, what is our Labor Government doing to promote World Philosophy Day and the importance of philosophy in the lives of every Australian?

I think we've reached a critical mass. My suggestion is that on November 20, 2008 our political leaders, and indeed all Australians, should read the UNESCO Study “Philosophy: A School of Freedom” and make an immediate long term commitment to encouraging our children to be curious and critical thinkers.