Inculcation of Philosophical Attitudes in Nigeria School Children as Instrument for Building the Culture of Peace

8/15/2019 Inculcation of Philosophical Attitudes in Nigeria School Children as Instrument for Building the Culture of Peace

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INCULCATION OF PHILOSOPHICAL ATTITUDES IN

NIGERIA SCHOOL CHILDREN AS INSTRUMENT

FOR BUILDING THE CULTURE OF PEACE

BY

ACHI, ANTHONY NDUBUISI

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONSFEDERAL COLLEGE OF EDUCATION (TECHNICAL) ASABA

+2348037458222

[email protected]

AND

ONYEKWE, E. C. (REV. FR.)

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONSFEDERAL COLLEGE OF EDUCATION (TECHNICAL) ASABA

+2348034054898

[email protected]

BEING A PAPER PRESENTED AT THE

2ND NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF DIRECTORATE OF

PROFESSIONAL DIPLOMA IN EDUCATION (PDE), FEDERAL

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION (TECHNICAL), ASABA9 TH – 13 TH MA, 201!

HOLDING AT THE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS EDUCATION

AUDITORIUM, PERMANENT SITE, FCE(T), ASABA, DELTA STATE

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Abstract

So many approaches and attempts are being made to entrench peace and quality education to

Nigerian citizenry as panacea to national development. This paper posits that the society would

continue to witness and suffer social unrest because the citizens, including the leaders, are not knowledgeable and critical in their thoughts and approaches. Therefore, until we all become

reflective thinkers - in our attitudes and approach to issues, peace will continue to elude the society.

t is the stand of the paper that philosophical attitudes like reasonableness, humility, openmindedness, receptivity to opposing ideas and critical thinking be inculcated into the youth through

the educational system so that they will be able to promote peaceful co - e!istence among the

citizens.

Introduction


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The world has witnessed an unprecedented increase in crime, violence and lawlessness. This

disturbing global phenomenon is also manifested in the school which is a microcosm of the society.

The educational system is plagued with increase in violence and indiscipline. For a while, Nigeria

has experienced various intra - community conflicts due to different ethnic, political and religious

clashes bringing with it death, destruction and despair to the citizenry. Religious and ethnics

conflicts have occurred severally in Nigeria. vidences range from the !"dua #eoples" $ongress

%!#$& clash with the 'ausa, to the (fe and )oda*e*e conflicts in the +outh - est, the

(aw/rhobo(tse*iri clash in the Niger 0elta and the numerous religious conflicts that blaze

through the North from time to time, the recent of which is the case of the religious sect called

1o*o 'aram which has created terror and destruction in the country. 2larming is the rate of

conflicts that need to be resolved in the country. +tudies have revealed that true peace cannot be

achieved only by the government imposing some form of negative peace, through strict rules and

regulations. #eace is of the mind. (t can only be achieved genuinely if the mind of people are

trained and channeled toward peaceful co-existence. $onflict can only be truly resolved when there

is respect for human rights, human dignity and social ustice. This can only be achieved when the

philosophical attitudes have been inculcated, that is when all have become philosophers. The

3uestion now comes4 who is a philosopher5 $an everybody be a philosopher5 2nd what are the

philosophical attitudes5

Who is a Philosopher?

!ne thing that can be said, with a fair degree of accuracy, is that philosophers try to get you to

accept what they have to say through the process of argumentation. hile trying to convince you of

their positions, they, at the same time, ta*e into consideration some obections, stated or possible.

hat is being stressed here is the nature of philosophy as a critical discipline, one in which logic

and critical thin*ing play a crucial role. This perhaps, is what has informed illiam 6ames"

characterization of philosophy %metaphysics& as nothing but "an unusually obstinate effort to thin*

clearly7, (t may be contested, however, that this attitude of being critical is not peculiar to

philosophy, and that specialists in other disciplines also thin* through their problems. This may be

so but it is strictly in line with the nature and character of philosophy that nothing is ta*en for

granted. #hilosophers would wish to *now how rational beliefs and attitudes are and the extent of

their consistency with other beliefs that are firmly held7. There is a *ind of uncompromising

demand by some philosophers that rational grounds are provided for our beliefs, religious or

otherwise. (t is this stringent demand brought to bear on religious or religious claims which tend to

give the impression that philosophy is anti - religion. 1ut this impression is wrong. 2mong the great


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defenders of religion are philosophers. !ne issues of common concern to philosophy and religion is

the issue of the existence, nature, and characteristics of 8od. 'owever, the difference between them

lies in their methods of validating beliefs. 8enerally, in philosophy, acceptance of a belief is based

on reasoning, argumentation and debate, whereas in religion, acceptance of a belief is usually, or

ultimately, dependent on faith. 2nd since faith is a reection of fact and logic as necessary elements

of proof, it is clear that philosophers" reection of faith as a method of validation of belief will often

result in a clash of orientation between religion and philosophy. $ritical thin*ing, in philosophy,

involves a careful examination of claims or beliefs with a view to determining whether they are

sustainable or not. (ts primary aim is to drag hidden assumptions into the limelight and scrutinize

them with a view to assessing their consistency and coherence with the established body of human

*nowledge7. $ritical thin*ing has no other authority than the authority of reason itself. 'ence, it is

sceptical, in the sense that it is concerned with a rigorous examination of our ideas and values. (t is

rational because it is primarily concerned with see*ing grounds for establishing the ustification for

whatever is considered as a ustified belief. 'owever, this does not imply that critical thin*ing is a

negative activity involving the wholesome reection of people"s beliefs or ideas but it is a rational,

impartial and articulate appraisal whether positive or negative. The purpose of this *ind of criticism

is to enable us see things in a new light or develop a new perspective about them as a means of

encouraging us to reform our beliefs and modify our values when they are found wanting on the

scale of reason.

(n his attempt to describe who a philosopher is, /rmson wrote that

n popular thought, a philosopher is a man of high principle, immune so far as is

humanly possible to the shorter - term interests and problems of ordinary mortals,

calm and unruffled in the face of adversity, who has a message for human beings

about how they may best a and most wisely live, a message which is called "a

philosophy of life"

From /rmson"s opinion, one may infer that a person whose primary concern is his short - time

interests, who is not critical even about his own life, who is ealous, and aggressive cannot emerge a

philosopher because these traits are negative to developing good philosophical mind or spirit.

Who can be a Philosopher?

#hilosophers could emerge from any discipline or occupation %#op*in and +troll 9::;&, some are

teachers li*e +t. Thomas 23uinas, 6ohn 0ewey and


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philosophers have shared a conviction that thoughtful examination and analysis of our views, and

our evidence for them are important and worthwhile. 2 philosopher thin*s about certain matters in

certain ways. 'eshe wants to find out what various concepts fundamental ideas or concepts that we

have mean, what we base our *nowledge on, what standards should be employed in arriving at

sound udgments, what beliefs we ought to adhere to, and the li*e. 1y reflecting upon such

3uestions, the philosopher feels that one can achieve more comprehension of the universe, natural

and human. Therefore, every normal human being has the tendency to be a philosopher.

What are Philosophical Attitudes?

2*inpelu %9:=9& identified as a maor characteristic element of philosophy its absolute reliance on

the use of logical reasoning. Reasoning then meant the examination of evidences in favour or

against any claim, from a dispassionate and impartial point of view, exposing preudices in claims

that are put forward, and, in general, giving to every bit of evidence as much weight as it actually

deserves. 2s philosophy involves "thin*ing things through" on one"s own7, rather than ta*ing

statements and recommendations for granted, it helps one to become more aware of the implications

of various issues, and by engaging in thin*ing on the issues, he will discover other dimensions of

meaning which others have neglected.

2lso, as philosophy gives more weight to the validity or soundness of arguments than to the

authority of the person arguing a case, it will encourage one to loo* at problems of any sort more

critically, divesting them of the confusions that personal interests and preudiced emotions usuallyintroduce. (n addition, philosophy has a humbling effect on those who pursue it, in that it forces one

to *eep an open mind on any subect, since new evidence may render one"s previous opinion less

tenable. 'ence, one with philosophical mind is not dogmatic or rigid. 1y and large, the following

attitudes can be identified as being philosophical4

• 'umility - in reason and action

• $ritical thin*ing

• !pen mindedness, not in terms of not being able to ma*e up one"s mind but in accepting and

respecting superior and more valid opinions• Tolerance which implies the spirit to endure others without protest, and

• Respect for human dignity and rights

The Concept of Peace

#eace is generally defined as the absence of war, fear, conflict, anxiety, suffering and violence. (t is

primarily concerned with creating and maintaining a ust order in society and the resolution of

conflict by non-violent means" %Francis >??@&. ith this definition, there is the tendency to

conceptualize peace as the converse of war or violence. Thus, war and peace, for instance are often


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referred to as two sides of the same coin. 'owever, if peace is defined as the absence of war, can

war, by logical extension, be described as the absence of peace5 This way of conceptualizing peace

though attractive, can be seen as inade3uate for understanding the nature of peace. (n the first place,

according to (beanu %>??@&, it is tautological and circular in logic. (t implies that there is peace

because there is no war and there is war because there is no peace. +econdly, it really tells us

nothing about the meaning of peace, which, going by this definition, we have to arrive at by first

defining war. That is, if peace is the absence of war, what is war5 'owever, even common sense

would suggest that peace even exists independent of war. Thus, there can be peace even when there

is war, as in situations when there are peaceful interactions between countries that are engaged in

active war. For instance, the #alestinians and (sraelis have been able to establish peaceful use of

water resources, even as the war between them has raged.

Thirdly, this definition is inapplicable in situations of structural violence as 8altung %9::?& calls it.

ar is only one form of violence, which is physical, open and direct. 1ut there is another form of

violence that is not immediately perceived as such. This has to do with social conditions such as

poverty, exclusion, intimidation, oppression, want, fear, and many types of psychological pressure.

Finally, it would be wrong to classify a country experiencing pervasive structural violence as peace.

(n other words although war may not be going on in a country where there is pervasive poverty,

oppression of the poor by the rich, police brutality, intimidation of ordinary people by those in

power, oppression of women, or monopolization of resources and power by some sections of the

society, it will still be wrong to say that there is peace in such a country. $onse3uently, it is 3uite

possible not to have peace even when there is no war.

There are two common interpretations of the peace as converse of war argument. e may call them

the instrumentalist and the functionalist interpretations. (n the instrumentalist interpretation, peace

is a means to an end. (n this sense, the absence of war serves the end of social progress and

development. !n the other hand, in the functionalist interpretation, peace is seen from one angle as

playing a social function, and from another angle as the product of the function of other social

structures and institutions. $onse3uently, peace is said to have the social function of integration and

order. 2s such, for society and the state to function properly they need peace, otherwise there would

be a lot of stress on the social and political systems and then they would brea* down. Related to

this, it is posited that the central function of both the social and political systems is to create peace.

The problem with the instrumentalist and functionalist perceptions of peace is that they both do not

envisage an intrinsic value of peace irrespective of the gains that society and the state ma*e out of

it. (n other words, instrumentalist and functionalist perspectives on peace may be criticized for not


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recognizing that peace is an end in itself, which the vast maority of human beings would prefer to

war and conflict.

(n general, six meanings of peace are agreed on by many peace researchers. These include

• peace as the absence of war %absence of direct violence&,

• peace as ustice and development %absence of structural violence&,

• peace as respect and tolerance between people %understanding&

• peace as 8aia %balance in and with the ecosphere&,

• inner peace %spiritual peace&, and

• peace as "wholeness7 and "ma*ing whole". %completeness&

8altung %9::?& distinguishes three types of violence relevant to the understanding of peace and

conditions that create unpeaceful situations or "peacelessness". These are firstly, direct violence, i.e.,

physical, emotional and psychological violence. +econdly the structural violence, i.e., deliberate

policies and structures that cause human suffering, death and harm, and thirdly, cultural violence,

i.e., cultural norms and practices that creates discrimination, inustice and human suffering.

8altung, in broadening the definition of peace, also outlines two dimensions of peaceA "negative

peace" , i.e., the absence of direct violence, war, fear and conflict at individual, national, regional

and international levels4 and "positive peace" i.e., the absence of unust structures, une3ual

relationships, ustice and inner peace at individual level.

(t is important to point out that the particular historical and political contexts of a country and

community determines its perception of peace. For example, a society fragmented and polarized by

perpetual war and armed conflict will interpret peace as the absence of war. +imilarly, a political

community driven by unust structures and policies will e3uate peace with ustice and freedom.

#eople suffering material deprivation and poverty will inevitably perceive peace in terms of e3uity,

development and access to existential necessities of life. )any philosophers see peace as a natural,

original, 8od-given state of human existence. #eace, from this philosophical standpoint, is the pre -

corruption state of man in society, as 8od established it. $onse3uently, peace is a state of

perfection, an earthly expression of 8od"s *ingdom that is yet uncorrupted. Thus, +t. 2ugustine of

'ippo distinguished between 7two cities7 namely, the city of 8od which is founded on perfect

heavenly peace and spiritual salvation4 and the earthly city of man, which is founded on appetitive

and possessive impulses, is corrupt and tom by strife. 6ohn 6ac3ues Rousseau on his part

conceptualizes a peaceful original state of existence of man in which there are no desires. (n that


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state, man existed as a free, gentle savage. (n this "state of nature", men were naturally good. They

were born free and had few desires. 'owever, this tran3uil state subse3uently became corrupted by

human desire and greed, thus undermining the peaceful, pristine "state of nature." 'e made a

scathing attac* on private property, which he saw as a maor reason for the depravity of man. 1y

contrast, Thomas 'obbles, argues that the "state of nature" was rampant with conflict and violence.

(n this original state, a great man could be murdered in his sleep or overwhelmed by great numbers.


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minds are already open to 3uestioning and critical thin*ing. Then their teachers should always

engage them in arguments based on critical thin*ing. (t may not be out of place if school children

are exposed to elementary boo*s on philosophy and logic right from their elementary classes.

Teachers also, should always allow the school children to express themselves on issues. Their

opinions should be respected and whenever they are wrong, they should be made to *now through

superior arguments of their colleagues or of the teacher. Their teachers should have open minds and

should be critical in nature themselves. !pen mindedness and tolerance should be inculcated in the

school children. This is articulated in the national policy on ducation

Conclusion

To promote development in Nigeria, there must be peace, not ust peace as defined by the absence

of war or violence, but as an atmosphere of tolerance, harmonious co - existence and mutual

development4 an atmosphere where people are not only aware of their differences but are also

understanding and willing to live and wor* together. 2n attitude is philosophical when it is based on

broad thin*ing. (t is a reflective attitude based on consistent principles. (t is an attitude based on

understanding. 2 person lac*ing understanding lac*s critical evaluation of his own life and the

universe. 2 philosophical attitude reflects beyond the immediate problem. (t is a critical attitude

characterized by open mindedness, humility and tolerance. These attitudes can be inculcated into

the young ones by the various subect teachers by ma*ing efforts to elicit these attitudes by

adopting pedagogy that will test the spirit of tolerance and allow students to interact and wor*

together peacefully. These methods include proect method, discussion method, field method,

problem - solving method, micro teaching and even team teaching approach.


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References

2*inpelu, 6. 2. %9:=9&. 2n introduction to the philosophy of education. ??@&. $onceptualizing #eace in 1est, +. 8 (ntroduction to #eace and $onflict +tudies

in est 2frica. (badanA +pectrum 1oo*s ??=&. Thin*ing 2bout #hilosophy - 2 8eneral 8uide. (badanA 'ope #ublications.

!nigbinde, 2. %9::@&. The human exploration an introduction to philosophy. (badanA 'ope#ublications.

#op*in,R. '. E +troll, 2. %9::;&. #hilosophy )ade +imple. New or*A0oubleday

+abine, 8. ' E Thorson, T.

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Inculcation of Philosophical Attitudes in Nigeria School Children as Instrument for Building the Culture of Peace