MOOCs and conceptions of philosophical learning

A presentation from the Arts and Humanities Annual Conference 2014.

The potential relationships between different conceptions of philosophical learning (philosophy as the handmaiden of science philosophy as a conversation in the history of mankind and philosophy as intellectual therapy) and MOOCs are considered. The extent to which the possible usefulness of MOOCs might vary for various fields of philosophy is also examined. Whatever role MOOCs have to play in philosophy this must be in the context of a blended learning experience and cannot be a substitute for traditional teacher and learner dialogue.