Philosophy is one of the most ancient sciences, which allows you to delve into the essence of things surrounding a person. In the literal translation from ancient Greek, the word "philosopher" means "a man 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 you can learn this, 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 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 to 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 depths 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 for philosophy for many centuries - the formulation of exciting questions regarding being, and the search for answers to them.
The subject of study of philosophy is the understanding of the essence of things surrounding a person, therefore, when studying this science, it is important to be able to interpret concepts without distorting them.
Speaking down-to-earth, philosophy can teach a person to think, search for ideals and fight against 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 separately. Therefore, the need to study this science is hard to understate, since it is very important for modern people to learn to understand themselves and others in order to feel comfortable in society and not violate 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 basic humanitarian education in this field can work in various professional fields. When undergoing training at the departments of philosophy, the student is given the opportunity to ultimately choose a certain specialization, in the direction of which he will develop and deepen his own knowledge. These specializations are also called areas of philosophy. For example, a specialty such as “social philosophy” enables a person to work in legal and political structures, as well as conduct research activities. But in order to get a job, it is not at all necessary to choose a narrow specialty, since when choosing a general specialty, many graduates of the philosophy departments are able to correctly interpret the information, which is very appreciated by employers.
If a person decided 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.
The relevance of the profession
For many years, the profession of a teacher of philosophy has remained quite in demand. This phenomenon is due to the fact that modern philosophy courses are designed to expand people's consciousness, regardless of what profession they own. That is why such a discipline as philosophy is introduced in almost all students of higher educational institutions.
Pros and cons of this profession
Like any labor activity, the work of a teacher of philosophy has its positive and negative sides.
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 the information coming from outside takes the necessary form, and it becomes easy to manage. This allows you to filter out unnecessary information garbage.
- Wide horizons. Teachers of philosophy are people who have to delve into many areas of human life in order to study them in depth to find answers to life's questions. This allows brain activity to be in a 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 become aware of certain facts. The teacher of philosophy throughout his career learns to present information in the manner in which it should be understood by students. This is a very important point in the activities of the philosopher, since in general information may not change for many centuries, but the ability to perceive it by other people is formatted under the conditions in which they are. This feature of the profession allows the teacher of philosophy to find new ways of communicating information to students or students, which in the case of sincere love for his work gives a person the opportunity to constantly improve himself.
The negative aspects of the profession are such moments:
- 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, it is necessary to develop the necessary personal qualities, which will be discussed a little later.
- Information overload. As noted above, people who associate their lives with teaching philosophy as a discipline have to process a lot of different literature on philosophy, and sometimes literature that is not related to substantive 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 arriving information will help to cope.
What personal qualities you need to have
A philosophy teacher is required to have a certain set of personal qualities, without which it will be extremely difficult for him to educate students and conduct his work. The following qualities can be attributed to this list:
- equilibrium;
- thoughtfulness;
- the desire to expand their own horizons;
- interest in the humanities;
- the ability to listen to other people's thoughts and take the positions of other people;
- the ability to correctly and clearly formulate their own thoughts;
- the constant search for something new in science, the desire to find answers to complex life questions;
- sociability.
What skills should be developed by a teacher of philosophy?
In addition to personal qualities, people who teach philosophy should develop in themselves various abilities that help them in their work. Two main abilities can be distinguished here:
- Oratory and artistry. Each teacher should be able to interest the audience so that the information coming from his mouth is heard and understood by students. The work of a teacher is a real art. For example, paintings or musical compositions are created in close interaction between the author and the people who speak to the audience. The teacher is the same artist who must be able to win the hearts of students so that the process of conducting lectures is interesting and accessible, because otherwise the 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 perfect knowledge of the material described in textbooks on philosophy makes a person a good teacher. It is very important to feel what students really need and how education should be built.
What pedagogical basics do you need to know?
It is important for each teacher not just to conduct a lesson in philosophy, but to understand the significance of the material presented. This will help convey to students, especially those who study a philosophy course, while learning, for example, banking, that an educated person is simply obliged to have a broad outlook to achieve any high results in life.
It is also important to communicate with the audience in her language and illustrate certain points in a format that will be understood by a certain circle of people.
Who else can work in this specialty?
In addition to higher education institutions, the doors of scientific institutes, various publishing houses and the media are always open to a highly qualified philosopher. This is a popular specialty.
Related professions
Under certain conditions, a person with a basic education in philosophy can graduate from any of the related fields, which in the future makes it possible to master an additional profession. Among these related species 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 who teaches philosophy, and allows him to take up writing scientific research papers.
The ability to conduct research in philosophy
Each qualified teacher who studies and teaches this subject can not only be a historian and bring to the students the information presented in the textbooks on philosophy, but also engage in research work and writing his own works. But in order to devote himself to the study of not yet fully mastered moments in science, initial experience in this field is necessary.
Where and how much do you need to study to become a teacher of philosophy? Top Universities
To date, this training profile is one of the classic ones, and there are departments of philosophy in any major humanitarian university.
In this area, there are a huge number of programs and specialties that help students to 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 in full-time and part-time studies in the undergraduate program, and you can also enter the magistracy upon graduation. In general, training taking into account the magistracy 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 of 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.
