Clarification, Elimination and Education: Hacker and Churchland on the Dissolution of Philosophical Puzzles and the Impact of their Views on Education

Abstract

Clarification, Elimination and Education: Hacker and Churchland on the Dissolution of Philosophical Puzzles and the Impact of their Views on Education. – P. M. S. Hacker’s analytic stand and P. M. Churchland’s eliminative naturalism represent conflicting views on the debate concerning scientific and philosophical puzzles. I propose, however, that their meta-philosophical pronouncements and their treatment of the philosophical problem of consciousness reveal a common attitude towards philosophy: both suggest the restatement of traditional philosophical problems, so that the factors causing the problem disappear and the problem vanishes. Such an attitude is pedagogically and philosophically problematic. It promotes retreat from intellectual struggle and hence stands against all ideals education or critical thinking should promote.