The document discusses virtues exhibited by philosophers in the classroom. It notes that in the past, victory in philosophical arguments went to those who spoke with the greatest conviction, even if they lacked subtlety of mind. It questions what virtues academic staff believe they exhibit during live philosophy events and what students actually see. It argues that feeling like one could belong is important for success and happiness in education. The document considers the "signature pedagogy" of philosophy and how virtues like patience, trust, pride, humility, gratitude and forgiveness are needed for thinking together.

1. What virtues do we philosophers model in our classrooms?
Dr Brendan Larvor

2. How to win philosophical arguments
And if you didn't talk so
slowly, no one would think
you were so very wise.
Elizabeth
Anscombe
A. J. Ayer
(As told by Jonathan Glover)
You know, if you didn't
talk so fast, no one
would think you were
so clever.

3. The Cambridge Circle
As recalled by J.M. Keynes
“In practice, victory was with those who could speak with
the greatest appearance of clear, undoubting conviction and
could best use the accents of infallibility. [G.E.] Moore ...
was a master of this method - greeting one’s remarks with a
gasp of incredulity - Do you really think that, an expression
of face as if to hear such a thing said reduced him to a state
of wonder verging on imbecility, with his mouth wide open
and wagging his head in the negative so violently that his
hair shook. Oh! he would say, goggling at you as if either
you or he must be mad; and no reply was possible.”

4. The Cambridge Circle
As recalled by J.M. Keynes
“... A kind of combat in which strength of character
was really much more important than subtlety of
mind…”
‘My Early Beliefs' (1938) in Collected Writings, vol.10: Essays in Biography
(London: Macmillan, 1951), p.433-50
With thanks to Prof Stephen Clark

5. Convivium
Papa Westray

6. Convivium
Papa Westray
• Legal educators
• Medical educators
• Philosophers
• Theologian
• Theatre Director
• (Anthropologist)
How do we prepare students fully (ethically) for
their professional lives?
• Law and Medicine are way ahead of us
• Clinical experience: the client/patient’s interests
trump my grade-gathering
– Real cases
– Other-directed (‘professional’)
– Non-members of the guild
• Modelling of the visible virtues (confidence,
authority)
– This is culture-specific

7. Our Question:
What virtues do academic staff exhibit during live philosophy events?
What virtues do they think they
exhibit?
What do the students see?
To whom does this make philosophy
more or less attractive?
What does this tell us about the
nature of philosophy?

8. This Matters!
Because…
• Success and happiness in education are
easier to achieve if you feel like you
have some hope of eventually belonging
• Does this institution seem to be for
people like me? (this is not the same as
‘does it welcome people like me?’)

9. In the philosophy classroom at the unseen university
• Implicit Curriculum
• Sacred Knowledge (Basil
Bernstein)
• Signature pedagogy (think,
perform, act with integrity)
What is the signature pedagogy of
philosophy?
How to talk about things invisible

10. In the philosophy classroom at the unseen university
• Gadfly/boxer conceptions
assume legitimate presence (or
you’ll get swatted/KOed)
• Virtuous adversariality is not
enough (Queensbury rules)
• Sage conception demands more
deference than is consistent
with critical enquiry
• Problem-solver image treats
identification, framing and
priority of problems as
unproblematic
How to talk about things invisible

11. In the philosophy classroom at the unseen university
• Some virtues on display are
teacherly rather than
philosophical
• Some virtues are invisible (e.g.
humility in a role that requires
confidence)
• Virtuous treatment of non-
philosophers is hard to model
How to talk about things invisible

12. In the philosophy classroom at the unseen university
How to talk about things invisible
Two philosophy
students
consider the
token-identity
theory of mind

13. In the philosophy classroom at the unseen university
How to talk about things invisible
Thinking together requires:
• patience and trust.
• A blend of pride (in our
work) and humility
(recognition of what we
owe to others and of the
defeasibility of our own
judgements).
• Plus gratitude,
hopefulness, justice and
the capacity for
forgiveness.