Preprint NO PHILOSOPHY IN US' HIGH-SCHOOL CURRICULUMS WHEREAS IN ALMO...
The disparity in the presence of philosophy within high school curricula between the United States and Europe is a curious phenomenon that warrants examination. In the U.S., philosophy is largely absent from state-mandated secondary school curriculums, in contrast to the common European practice of incorporating philosophical studies as a mandatory component (Pearson, 1923) (The Revival of values education in Asia and the West, 1989). This divergence points to underlying cultural, political, and educational differences that shape the respective educational priorities and structures. One factor that contributes to this divide is the decentralized nature of curriculum development in the U.S., which stands in contrast to the more centralized approaches found in many European nations (Schmidt et al., 2005).
The U.S. educational system is characterized by shared responsibility between federal, state, and local authorities, with each level wielding significant influence over curricular decisions. This decentralized framework allows for greater variability in curriculum content across states and even school districts, making the consistent inclusion of philosophy a challenging proposition. In contrast, the more centralized educational systems of many European countries facilitate the integration of philosophy as a core subject within their high school programs. This structural difference enables a level of coherence and uniformity in curricular offerings that is difficult to achieve in the fragmented U.S. context.
In addition, the underlying philosophical and cultural traditions of Europe and the U.S. may contribute to the divergent approaches to secondary education. European educational systems have a stronger foundation in the humanistic and Enlightenment-era traditions that emphasize the inherent value of philosophical study, whereas the U.S. educational landscape has historically been shaped by more pragmatic and utilitarian orientations (Bai et al., 2014) (Lee, 2018). This contrast in educational priorities and philosophies partly explains the varying degrees of emphasis placed on philosophical instruction in high schools.
References
Bai, H., Eppert, C., Scott, C., Tait, S., & Nguyễn, T T A. (2014, September 24). Towards Intercultural Philosophy of Education. Springer Nature, 34(6), 635-649. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-014-9444-1
Lee, D A. (2018, November 1). Closing the Gap and Exploring the Intersections Between Internationalization and Multiculturalism. Wiley, 2018(160), 63-73. https://doi.org/10.1002/yd.20311
Pearson, P. (1923, April 1). Comments on Current Educational Practices in Europe. University of Chicago Press, 31(4), 294-300. https://doi.org/10.1086/437766
Salehi, A., & Mohammadkhani, K. (2013, October 1). The School Curriculum as Viewed by the Critical Theorists. Elsevier BV, 89, 59-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.08.809
Schmidt, W H., Wang, H C., & McKnight, C C. (2005, January 1). Curriculum coherence: an examination of US mathematics and science content standards from an international perspective. Taylor & Francis, 37(5), 525-559. https://doi.org/10.1080/0022027042000294682
The Revival of values education in Asia and the West. (1989, June 1). Association of College and Research Libraries, 26(10), 26-5771. https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.26-5771
Wit, H D. (1999, March 25). Changing Rationales for the Internationalization of Higher Education. Boston College Center for International Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.6017/ihe.1999.15.6477
Yes AI told me so, to ask " Why no philosophy in US' States' high-schools curicullums whereas in almost all European high-schools mandatory ! ? " and I did for some sociologists to envy my question as a contrasting fact in education !?
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