What Is Justice? Constructing Critical Consciousness in a High School Ethics Course

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Abstract

Philosophy should not exist as an elite discourse reserved for a privileged few, but instead represents an opportunity for all to critically examine and ponder some of life’s most complex and important issues—if it is taught in socially conscious and culturally relevant ways, and more inclusively offered to students from all backgrounds and academic paths. This paper details a year-long case study of a small ethics class held as a non-credit, voluntary option for students in a Midwestern career-technical high school. Findings suggest that these students were not only enthusiastic about and academically capable of exploring philosophical topics, but, importantly, were able to construct new ways of seeing their everyday experiences through a philosophical lens.

Author

• Amy Rector-Aranda, University of Cincinnati