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Educating the Philosopher-Leader: Fieldtrips, Outdoors, and Wonder

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Fieldwork in Humanities Education in Singapore

Part of the book series: Studies in Singapore Education: Research, Innovation & Practice ((SSERIP,volume 2))

Abstract

Leaders need to be able to think well. Leaders of organizations make decisions that affect the lives of people within the organization, as well as the lives of people who are affected externally by the organization. The way they deliberate and the ideas that they have can do a whole lot of good, or a whole lot of harm. So making sure they are people who think well is important. In this chapter, the author explores what it might mean to think well in terms of the sophisticated grasp of the essences of things over which one might have charge. The author then discusses educational processes that can facilitate the development of such thinking via the historical return to the originary Greek experience. Specifically, the author considers what can help comport the leader to think soundly about important things and concepts, and how fieldtrips involving the engagement with nature (physis) in the outdoors, leading to the experience of wonder (thaumazein), can contribute to that comportment. This essay also retrieves the Greek notion of Being as physis and its relationship to thaumazein, and employs resources in Thomism to engage Heidegger’s readings of the Greeks.

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Acknowledgements

for Amelia (美莲), my lily each day.

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Correspondence to Soo Meng Jude Chua .

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Chua, S.M.J. (2021). Educating the Philosopher-Leader: Fieldtrips, Outdoors, and Wonder. In: Sim, T.Y., Sim, H.H. (eds) Fieldwork in Humanities Education in Singapore. Studies in Singapore Education: Research, Innovation & Practice, vol 2. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8233-2_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8233-2_2

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