REFLECTION AND ARTICULATION
Philosophy is one of the oldest sciences that appeared many centuries ago. This science is unique one as it gives incredibly versatile cognition and its methods are universal too. Their universalism become apparent in the fact that they can be used in research concerning any spheres and forms of reality in the process of creation both practical and theoretical programs.
Philosophical method involves a commitment to reason and argument as a source of knowledge. (Brown R., 2008). Among plenty of methods in this work we are focusing our attention on two of them. They are methods of reflection and articulation. These methods are associated with a move away from viewing the learning process as mechanistic and towards the conceptualization of learning as something “emergent and social” (Brill, 2001). Articulation and reflection work together as a pedagogical strategy. Reflection skills promote critical thinking and students’ construction of knowledge. Articulation skills give students the ability to communicate that knowledge with other. These methods of instruction give students the opportunity to express what they are learning as it relates to their own learning experience and to self-evaluate their process (Bonk, 1998).
In the given essay we are dealing with the example taken from the book by Martin Cohen “101 Philosophy Problems”. Our task is to analyze the case with Farmer Field, his cow Daisy and his dairyman. As it is said he is so much concerned about his cow that does not want to believe the dairyman’s words that everything is with her. Farmer needs to be sure in it. That is why instead of believe dairyman he goes out to the field and sees Daisy. Does he really see her or it only seems to him that it is his cow? In fact he sees some white and black shape that reminds him Daisy. Farmer’s logic is like this: the colour of his cow is black and white, at this moment she must be in the field and he really sees some black and white creature behind the trees. This fact satisfies him completely. He needs no other arguments. The week point of Farmer’s thinking is that he is standing near the gates and does not come closer to the cow. He sees the white and black shape at the distance in which he recognizes Daisy, but again Farmer Filed does not come up to her to see with his own eyes that this is really his favourite cow. Farmer does not give himself trouble to think further. If we could have a chance to ask him why, he would probably answer that as he is certain that the black and white shape is his cow. His certainty is based on the fact that his white and black cow is grazing grass in the field. His eye catches a familiar …