Portugal: a proposal on how to inspire philosophizing

Abstract

We start by discussing philosophy as being the art of attuning life through reflected examination, in order to achieve an accord between the saying and the being, which expresses the concern of taking care of one's own self. This brings us to envisage philosophy as thinking for oneself, as engaging in one's own problems that may arise in facing life, reading texts or admiring art, while looking at things as if it was for the first time and introducing new meanings by creating new concepts. Such a conception entails a shift regarding philosophical education, which has to be understood and defined not as a straightforward increase in some well-known entity called 'knowledge', but rather as a journey of the soul; meaning we should not focus on teaching what philosophers have said but on the problematics they have raised. Such an endeavour claims for an accordant process of inspiring philosophising, which always implies a critical mode of approach. Our proposal sequences the process by starting with focusing in problematics, considered as a motivational ground, for being developed by encouraging it with a sort of tasks, considered as congruent, suggestive and motivational, to end up achieving personal philosophising, that can produce an integration of logical-conceptual networks as well as of functionally structured subject areas. The afore-mentioned issues take us to discuss the concept of competence, as a complex "ability to mobilise and deploy relevant psychological resources (i.e. values, attitudes, skills, knowledge and/or understanding) in order to respond appropriately and effectively to the demands, challenges and opportunities" (Council of Europe, 2016, 23-24). So, we conclude by trying to show how a philosophical education ought to inspire what we tried to present as the core of philosophising: concepts creation through critical thinking (which is also defined). Philosophical competences that allow and support such desideratum are then presented.