From Critical to Imaginative Thinking
The idea of disciplines is rooted in approaches to education going back to Plato, which flourished in the birth of the universities in the Middle Ages. At that time students were expected to master both the disciplines of the word – grammar, logic and rhetoric – and those of number – arithmetic, astronomy, music and geometry. It was thought that a person versed in these seven liberal arts would be able to understand the world in its wholeness. The important concept here is that of understanding. Students learned the art of seeing the world through specific lenses – the disciplines – in order to be able to think it in its wholeness. The development of disciplines with their specific ways of looking was the basis for the development of critical thinking, of placing oneself in relation to the world based on the exercise of reason.
There is every indication today that this approach has outlived its welcome. Or, in other words, is no longer in keeping with the further evolution of human consciousness (we often forget that the evolution of human consciousness did not stop with Steiner!). The need for interdisciplinary approaches to understanding becomes evident as the challenges we face become increasingly complex. Engaging with them requires a shift of paradigm – a shift in how we think about coming to understanding. It would make sense to start practicing different ways of knowing in high school. Our students are heading into a world of challenges for which we have no answers. These are not one-dimensional challenges, but demand multi-faceted creative approaches. Let us find ways to help our students learn to think things together rather than apart; let us help them learn to grasp wholeness. Let us transform the West’s fascination with critical thinking into gestures of imaginative thinking that bear within them the force of empathy and the will to care.
Upper Grades and High School Teachers are invited to join us for a day to explore ways of teaching that are beyond our conventional disciplines. How do we work together to offer a context for students to grasp wholeness?
Who: Jon McAlice
Date: Wednesday, February 22, 2023
Location: San Francisco Waldorf High School
Registration: go to the workshop page
The workshop is a collaborative effort with San Francisco Waldorf School.