What makes a thinker
The notion of teaching people to become better thinkers is such a basic concept that most people would assume the goal has always been a vital part of educators’ tool kits. But the concept is fairly new on the education landscape, said the man who helped to define the discipline. And it has yet to accurately address some tricky cognitive terrain. To illustrate that point, Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) Professor David Perkins asked his audience during a lecture in Longfellow Hall on Tuesday to answer what he deemed a “sensible moral question.” “Should a man,” he wondered, “be allowed to marry his widow’s sister?” Ethical implications aside, there was a major problem with the query, quickly picked up on by an audience member who pointed out simply: “He’s dead.” “If he has a widow, he’s dead,” acknowledged Perkins. “Still, how liberal are we?” he added to laughs. But his question illustrated a serious point;...