Emotions

The emotions have traditionally been thought of as opposed to reason. While Reason has been conceived of as an abstract, objective, rule governed method of delivering us knowledge of reality, the emotions are associated with the body, the subjective, the private and the concrete experiences of everyday life, especially the experiences of women (Jaggar 1989, pp. 145-146; Oliver 2002, p. 213). As such, education, which has traditionally been focused on the cultivation of reason and the accumulation of facts, has tended to exclude or devalue the emotions. The emotions are thought to distract children from acquiring objective truths about the external world by focusing their attention on their own inner world and personal and physical needs. This opposition to the emotions is reflected in the traditional curriculum hierarchy, where subjects like maths and science are considered more valuable and important than the arts, which are associated with affectivity. When the emotions are accepted as educationally important, it is normally because they are thought to enable creative and caring thinking, which are considered distinct forms of thinking that compliment reasoning or critical thinking. However, I believe that this view still underestimates the importance of imagination and the emotions, which are not merely distinct and valuable forms of thinking but are integral to all thinking. In this paper, I will explore how P4C explicitly rejects such traditional epistemological ideals by rejecting reason/emotion dualism. I will argue that P4C incorporates Dewey’s notion of inquiry and for Dewey the emotions are essential aspects of all thinking. Thus, I will analyse Dewey’s account of the emotions and inquiry and explain how his ideas are reflected in P4C’s ideal of communal inquiry.