Philosophy in Difficult Circumstances: A Civic Knowledge Project Discussion

The Civic Knowledge Project uses philosophy to facilitate the building of connections between the University of Chicago and its neighboring South Side communities. Although philosophy is not often identified as an area with rich service-learning and experiential learning opportunities, the Civic Knowledge Project is engaged in a series of innovative educational experiments designed to expand the reach of philosophy in precisely such areas, and to highlight the vital role that philosophy can play in contributing to educational reform at all levels. As a key component of the humanities, philosophy can play a role parallel to that of the arts as a resource for community revitalization.