Log in
Rai Gaita's work brings a distinctive conception of good and evil to bear on a range of central and abiding moral questions. His work has shaped and changed the understanding of core moral and political issues by the general public in Australia and in other countries, and it has influenced the attitudes of policy makers and lawyers. Some of his books are on the reading list for the Higher School Certificate in Australia and have therefore had an immediate impact on the moral sensitivities of young Australians.
Not many contemporary moral philosophers have had such impact beyond the academic sphere. Why and how has Gaita achieved this impact? While academic philosophers tend to present their ideas in more technical form, Gaita's work crosses the boundaries between philosophical inquiry and literature. He brings philosophical issues to life by using the narrative form. For instance, his book Romulus, My Father, which uses biography to meditate on the human condition, has reached and influenced vast numbers of people. It was adapted into a film of the same title internationally released in 2007 and 2008. The inextricable connection between form and content in Gaita's work enables non-philosophical audiences to engage with, and respond to, his moral philosophy. In addition, his work has made a substantial contribution to the publishing and creative industries through the outstanding success of his books and related outputs.
The Spinoza Research Network (SRN) contributed to public discourse through online presence, public lectures and radio interviews, with impact through increased understanding and awareness, and changes in behaviour. The project had impact on cultural life through engagement with artists and impact on their practice. The SRN was a 2-year AHRC-funded project for researchers in multiple disciplines working on Spinoza with non-academics. In 2008-10 SRN gained 200 members from over 16 countries. Membership is currently around 250. The outputs were an interactive website, two conferences, and an edited book, public speaking, a Facebook group, a reading group, and two radio interviews.
The published research of University of St Andrews philosophers has been used to inform, support, and develop the work of teachers of philosophy in primary and secondary education, principally within Scotland where the teaching of philosophy has doubled in the last 10 years [S7]. There are two elements to the impact.
(1) Colleagues' world-leading research into philosophical topics and authors covered by school syllabi has been made accessible to secondary-school teachers and their pupils, via `introductory' publications, via events and personal contacts in St Andrews and in schools, and via a formal programme of continuing professional development. To date, teachers from one-third of all Scottish centres (schools/colleges) delivering Philosophy Higher have received accredited philosophy training via this St Andrews programme — this is significant insofar as it is not currently possible for teachers to complete a course of Initial Teacher Education in Philosophy in Scotland, meaning teachers must gain philosophy training and support elsewhere.
(2) Berys Gaut's novel philosophical work on creativity has had an impact on the teaching of philosophy to very young children, mediated both through a book for teachers co-authored by Gaut with a nursery-school teacher, and by events and personal contacts as detailed below. Both elements of impact have been coordinated by Dr Lisa Jones, under the auspices of a philosophy-in-schools programme (POPS) [see http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/philosophy/pops/].
This case study focuses upon the translation of academic research into the improved school teaching of philosophy. Since 2003, the Department has run an annual one-day national conference, free of charge, alternating between sixth-form teachers and pupils. The impact of these has been:
St Andrews philosophers have brought their expertise into dialogue with professionals and members of the wider public, on matters of current concern. The impact has been created in three domains:
The impacts of Hutchinson's and Crome's separate, yet closely interlinked bodies of research emerge from their shared commitment to the value of philosophical literacy. They have both argued that professional practice across the domains of Education and Public Health is subject to the effects of cognitive and conceptual frames, which Philosophy can help to identify, appraise and improve. Crome follows this strategic path in his work on pedagogy, which seeks to highlight the theoretical assumptions that support key elements of current teaching and learning policy. Hutchinson is pursuing a collaborative partnership with Public Health professionals concerning the correlation of shame, stigma and sexually transmitted infection (STI), for which Hutchinson's work on shame provides part of the conceptual and methodological rationale. The end users and beneficiaries of their shared promotion of philosophical literacy are professionals and patients in the healthcare sector and teachers and their students in education.
Research on Presocratic philosophy by Catherine Rowett (formerly Osborne) has had impact on the wider public, both at home and abroad, in two key areas: (a) it has helped to satisfy the intellectual and cultural curiosity of people in the UK and beyond; and (b) it has extended public understanding of the potential risks and rewards of stock-market investments. Impact (a) is achieved (i) via public engagement, including publication and distribution of a book for the popular market, both in English and in translation, and via public lectures and talks, and (ii) by inspiring others to use the results in for example, radio broadcasting. Impact (b) is achieved by way of a guidebook for those new to investment in stocks and shares, underpinned by (among other things) Rowett's work on Presocratic Philosophy.
Researchers in the history of philosophy at the University of St Andrews have brought their findings into public discourse both within Scotland and beyond. St Andrews philosophers have particular expertise in the tradition of Scottish philosophy, and in finding a place for that tradition in the Scotland of today. They also show the continuing vitality and relevance of the thought of major figures from beyond Scotland, such as Thomas Aquinas and Immanuel Kant. Through media outlets, continuing discussions with audiences outwith the academic world, and relationships with contemporary artists, philosophers at St Andrews are involved in on-going conversation with the larger community about what the philosophical tradition has to offer us in today's world.
The project makes accessible the history of philosophy `without any gaps' to a global audience. It capitalises on one of the Unit's research strengths, the history of philosophy, and brings this expertise to the general public maintaining a high level of intellectual rigour while making it accessible both intellectually and practically, thus maximizing reach. The public has access to the research through a series of podcasts (downloadable audio content) available on the project's website: www.historyofphilosophy.net, via software like iTunes. The podcasts are free to download and have been accessed more than 4 million times by thousands of listeners around the world. Because of their detail and format (often interviews) the podcasts convey advanced ideas and the fruits of recent research to this broad audience. The impact of the project lies in its ability to present our intellectual heritage in an accessible form, transforming the imaginations and sensibilities of individuals, enriching and expanding their lives and, given the nature of the topics discussed, informing and influencing their intellectual, cultural and personal development.
This case study is of impact arising from research by Peter Osborne in the area of philosophy of art — specifically, contemporary art: the philosophical reinterpretation and critical analysis of conceptual and post-conceptual art, from the early 1960s to the present.
This research has had a significant effect upon the awareness and understanding of the philosophical issues at stake in contemporary art for a range of practitioners in art institutions, of which three (in the UK, Norway and Italy) make up the case study here: at the level of their direction, curation and adult programming (non-HE art education) and in associated public discourse.