THE Education Ministry introduced into the higher education curriculum a new subject called ‘Philosophy and Current Issues’ with another subject, ‘Appreciation for Ethics and Civilisation’.
The decision is in line with the national education system direction, which emphasises good values.
Ironically, the decision comes at a time when philosophy is unpopular among higher education subjects.
Apart from being an academic luxury, philosophy is considered irrelevant due to its impractical and theoretical nature.
The situation is also because of a strong influence of modern empirical and positivist approach in science and knowledge in general.
Modern universities are more interested in offering more “practical” and empirical subjects that cater to the immediate needs of the country.
This unfavourable image of philosophy, nevertheless, could have been avoided if its true meaning and positive role, especially in the development of knowledge, are properly construed.
The word philosophy is derived from the Greek term ‘philo’, or to love.
‘Sophia’ means wisdom, which constitutes a commendable nature of philosophy.
The meaning symbolises a deep admiration quest for higher knowledge.
It also reflects the seriousness of philosophy in finding meaning behind every aspect of reality, which echoes Socrates that ‘an unexamined life is not worth living’.
It is, therefore, not surprising to learn that philosophy is known as the ‘mother of all sciences’.
This is due to its significant role in enquiring into the fundamental nature of reality and existence.
In terms of its relation to other sciences, philosophy serves as the foundation upon which a specific science is based and the framework that guides the objectives of a science.
If science is a tree, philosophy is the soil that makes the forest possible.
That is the reason we find the term philosophy attached to disciplines of knowledge, such as science, law and education.
The philosophical aspect of any discipline is fundamental since it provides the background, objective and the raison d’etre of a science.
Once the philosophy of a subject is understood, the whole subject will be easily comprehended.
Another important role of philosophy is to provide a systematic way of thinking and arguing.
Through philosophy, students will learn how to ask the right questions, analyse matters in a critical manner and present arguments in an organised way.
A study by the American Philosophical Association showed that philosophy contributed to the realisation of four goals that should be fundamental to an institution of learning:
INSTILLINGhabits of critical thinking in students;
ENHANCING their reading, writing and public speaking skills;
TRANSMITTING cultural heritage; and,
STIMULATING them to ask questions about reality, knowledge and value.
The function of philosophy lies in the fact that it deals with the bigger picture of something else.
This is the aspect that is lacking in the way higher education students are thinking.
When the education system becomes more specialised and compartmentalised, we lose the bigger picture and fail to find the connection between things.
The failure to see the bigger picture will lead to narrow-mindedness, extremism and bigotry.
With the introduction of philosophy, it is hoped that students will be broad-minded in dealing with issues, hence become wiser agents of a harmonious society.
However, some caveats need to be put forward.
FIRST the success of the subject will depend on the quality of the lecturers and the content of the curriculum; and,
SECOND, the framework of this subject has to take into account the Malaysian context and background, especially in terms of value systems and principles enshrined in the Constitution.
Only then will philosophy lead the students towards a real love of wisdom.
DR MOHD FARID MOHD SHAHRAN
Director, The Centre of the study of Syariah Law and Politics, Institute of Islamic Understanding