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Does Studying Philosophy Make People Better Thinkers?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 March 2024

MICHAEL PRINZING Open the ORCID record for MICHAEL PRINZING [Opens in a new window]  and
MICHAEL VAZQUEZ Open the ORCID record for MICHAEL VAZQUEZ [Opens in a new window]
MICHAEL PRINZING
Affiliation:
YALE UNIVERSITY michael@prinzing.net
MICHAEL VAZQUEZ
Affiliation:
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL michael.vazquez@unc.edu
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Abstract

Philosophers often claim that doing philosophy makes people better thinkers. But what evidence is there for this empirical claim? This paper reviews extant evidence and presents some novel findings. We discuss standardized testing scores, review research on Philosophy for Children and critical thinking skills among college students, and present new empirical findings. On average, philosophers are better at logical reasoning, more reflective, and more open-minded than non-philosophers. However, there is an absence of evidence for the claim that studying philosophy led to these differences. We present some preliminary and suggestive evidence that although some of these differences may be attributable to philosophical training, others appear to be selection effects. The key takeaway is that more data are needed. We conclude by urging philosophers and interdisciplinary collaborators to gather more data to test the claim that studying philosophy makes people better thinkers.

Keywords

Philosophy for Childrencritical thinkingintellectual virtueintellectual humilityteaching philosophy

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Article
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Journal of the American Philosophical Association , Volume 10 , Issue 4 , December 2024 , pp. 855 - 876
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Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The American Philosophical Association

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