SSP 101

Critical Paper 1
Villanueva, Shane E.
BSMT 1B

CRITIQUING ARTICLES
I. Matthew Lipman: Community of Inquiry
Education that is not limited to memorizing terms and textbook-based pedagogy, but rather
based on logical and reasoned thinking has become essential in an increasingly complicated world.
However, studies suggest that children are not developing their critical and inquisitive thinking
skills to the fullest.
Due to this, educational theorist Matthew Lipman addresses the root causes of our educational
crisis in his book Thinking in Education, originally published in 1991, and offers insightful and
practical solutions.
Lipman argues that although it is true that all inquiry is resting upon the community because more
often than not its foundations are language and symbolic systems in the society, this does not
necessarily lead to thinking that all community is predicated upon inquiry.
Lipman presents the education sector, especially for younger children learning in school, as the
focus of this postulation. Whilst it is true that schools must be the avenue of change for the
youngsters, this is hardly the case because of the method of teaching that remains stagnant and
conservative. It makes little sense how the main paradigm of pedagogy is focused predominantly
on producing skills relevant to their careers in the future, but reasonableness and inquiry-based
learning do not take place in the situation. It seems that Lipman does not wish to invalidate the
significance of hard skills for employability, but there is more to that, which is very reasonable. I
deem Lipman’s proposition crucial because Aristotle himself asserts that people are inquisitive by
nature, and education must cater to the curiosity of the learners.
I deem his postulation accurate. It is crucial to dwell on this topic and point out the shortcomings
of the education system being implemented, especially in the Philippines. Instead of the teachers
providing answers and solutions at hand, educators must know how to pose problems that will
trigger the instinctive curiosity of the learners. I highly consider Lipman’s ideals necessary to give
light to the reform of the educational system.
With the ultimate goal of informing society of the shortcomings of the educational system,
the author has successfully established his ideas by highlighting the major components of his
proposition that education must be inquiry-based. Lipman was able to provide persuasive
arguments to support his claims, provide real-life situations to easily grasp the idea that the author
is asserting, and even make use of figurative language such as that of an analogy to present his
standpoint, resulting in such effective writing that appeals to the target audience.
To summarize, Lipman’s work promotes exploration and inquisitiveness. This gives critical advice
inclusive of all levels of education. Finally, it gives helpful and innovative suggestions without the
complacency that this must and shall only be the ultimate and definitive solution to this subject
matter that leads to a plausible rationale.
SSP 101
Critical Paper 1
Villanueva, Shane E.
BSMT 1B

II. Renato Constantino: The Mis-Education of the Filipino

It has been decades long since the Philippines reclaimed its freedom from tyrants. The
nation may have already obtained its national independence, but the colonial influence of the
Americans remains.
Education can be a factor in either making or breaking a community, in a sense. It plays a crucial
role as a catalyst in building the nation through heeding the call of nationalism and cultural revival.
In the event that education executes the opposite, its effects are truly unfavorable. This national
dilemma is thoroughly specified in an article written by Renato Constantino, a Filipino historian,
entitled “The Mis-Education of the Filipino” published in 1959.
Constantino targets the shortcomings of the Philippine educational system as a primary
molder of nationalists who pay sympathy to their country’s problems, have the aptitude to discern
the solutions to these said problems, and nationalists who have enough tenacity to fight and
sacrifice for their motherland's salvation.
Not long after centuries-long of despotism under the Spanish influence, the Philippines was yet to
obtain freedom after being acquired by the Americans. Constantino stated that the best strategy to
subjugate people is to conquer their minds. This is arguably true. An internal attack where the prey
is unconscious of the predator works well. This banks on the complacency of the victim that
nothing apparent is out of the system. This is exactly the job of the American military, to pacify
the vulnerability of the Filipinos whose cry for independence is at its peak. The Filipinos were
desperate to stand back up and regain what they lost, allowing the grimful plan of the Americans
to take place, and that is to introduce their own educational system disguised as help to save
Filipinos from illiteracy, rather, as their main weapon for imperialism.
The English language served as the mediator for learning. Elmes (2013) asserts that language and
culture are inextricably connected. It is then reasonable to say that through learning the American
language, Filipinos also learn the culture, mindset, and values of the Americans.
Alas, the imperialistic influence still lives up to this day. The most concerning problem is the
question of language. The influence has set roots in the Philippine educational system, and it is
still debatable whether it is more efficient to use English or the native language in
learning. Constantino tried to harshly debunk this, saying that an individual cannot be more
comfortable with its native language. Indeed.
It is worth noting that Constantino’s main objective is to persuade his fellow countrymen
to think and act as concerned Filipinos. Especially the educational system that should be the
stepping guide for the younger generation. Constantino has successfully built a strong conviction
with his article, auspiciously connecting the past to the present with the hope of saving the future.
However, it is worth recalling that Constantino’s purpose is to reach out to his fellow compatriots.
The style of writing, although worthy of praise for being excellent in presenting his ideals, may be
better off if written in such a manner that would cater to the majority of Filipinos in terms of
fluency. Highfalutin words and complex sentences may hinder the intention of his work. It is
understandable that the use of the global language can reach more people. But is it not the Filipinos
SSP 101
Critical Paper 1
Villanueva, Shane E.
BSMT 1B

who are the target audience? Regardless, Constantino was able to present his ideals to push the
curriculum planners to create a curriculum or educational framework that caters entirely to
Filipinos. Every Filipino must have access to an educational system that fosters and nurtures their
sense of nationalism and love for their homeland.

III. Bertrand Russel: The Value of Philosophy

Humans are naturally inquisitive, stated Aristotle. We are meant to wonder, to be curious,
to inquire. Even contemplating the most trivial things can lead to a bigger discovery. We are bound
to nourish the inborn inquisitiveness as human beings. Originally published in 1912 was Bertrand
Russel’s book with the title Problems of Philosophy.
One may ask what is so certain about the universe that no form of doubt can refute it. Russel dwells
on the undeniable value of philosophy as a part of a human’s life. Russel believed that such
importance we give to our physical body like providing food, feeding the mind is no exception.
A man who focuses on practicality, in a sense that prioritizes material gains and foregoes
philosophizing is ironically impractical. Russel asserted that a man may only be imprisoned in his
own prejudices if he refuses to philosophize. In short, closemindedness with no desire to make
something out of nothing.
This is arguably true. One can philosophize even with the most trivial things in everyday life. It
aids in enlarging thoughts, expanding intellectual domain, in exploring subjectively and
objectively, removing complacency, and replacing it with an uncertainty that pushes a person to
philosophize even more.
The organization of Russel’s work is arguably effective. Also, even if science and
philosophy are seen as two entirely different disciplines, Russel was able to integrate, still, the
connection between the two. Russel mentioned that astronomy and psychology were once part of
philosophy. However, congruent to the advancements in science, these two were able to branch
out independently, solely because these two have established solid science-based questions, and
what remains in the discipline of philosophy are the uncertainties that aim to make people
philosophize more.
To sum it up, science is science, philosophy is philosophy. Philosophy should be studied for the
sake of the act of philosophizing itself rather than searching for any precise answers to them, as
there are typically no definitive answers that can be known to be true. Let philosophy loosen the
mind to a liberating spectrum of possibilities to discover.

Reference:
ELMES, D. (2013). The Relationship between Language and Culture.