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.
This case study relates to impact on teaching in Higher Education which extends significantly beyond Warwick and philosophy. First published in 2006, The Nietzsche Reader, co-edited by Warwick's Keith Ansell-Pearson and Swansea's Duncan Large, has sold more than 12,000 copies during the impact assessment period. Designed as a pedagogical aid, the textbook forms the foundation for teaching Nietzsche in a wide range of university and college level courses around the world. Substantive introductory texts which highlight Nietzsche's core concepts and historically contextualise his thinking, as well as new translations and an extensive bibliography have made Nietzsche accessible to all levels of students.
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:
A booklet was produced to address a problem identified by A-level teachers of Philosophy. They had reported that while independent critical engagement is strongly emphasised in the A-level Philosophy marking criteria, the available teaching materials do not foster this skill. The booklet contains essays summarising research papers from three members of the Unit that represent opposing views of Nietzsche's critique of morality. Through questions and puzzles, students are able to compare the claims and take up critical positions. The booklet has contributed a new type of educational material for developing critical thinking in A-level Philosophy and has been used in the UK and overseas.
For two decades, researchers at Southampton have played a leading role in demonstrating the value of bringing contemporary aesthetics into dialogue with its past. Through an extensive programme of public engagement activities, including talks, podcasts, videos, gallery events and 6th form conferences, we have brought our research on this theme to more than 200,000 people, stimulating them to think about unfamiliar topics, or about familiar topics in new and illuminating ways. These activities have enriched our interlocutors' intellectual and cultural lives, and, in some cases, have influenced their understanding of their own artistic practice.
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.
Labour Left, the Labour Party Think Tank, is a grassroots organisation developing new public discourses that aim to move Labour towards an ethical socialist position. Professor Beverley Clack works with Labour Left to provide intellectual support for developing Labour Party policy. Her research, which focuses on a common wellbeing, has been used to inform debate in the party around notions of ethical socialism as the basis for policy. She has contributed to public events, including two fringe events at the Labour Party Conferences of 2011 and 2012, collaborated with Mags Waterhouse in producing a blog for the Huffington Post, and contributed a chapter to The Red Book on the theme of ethical socialism.
Between 2000 and 2013 Professor Ken Gemes collaborated with one of the Department's Visiting Professors, Simon May, on Nietzsche and the `death of God'. They used Nietzsche's discussion of nihilism as a foundation for exploring the idea that without religious belief, underpinning values lack secure grounding, resulting in a crisis of values. Their insights have been widely disseminated through publications, public lectures and podcasts, and have influenced ideas about the basis for values in a largely secular age.
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.
This case study demonstrates the impact of research on Philosophical Dialogue and Rhetoric in the context of the marketisation of Higher Education. In this context, impact was (and is) created through the facilitation of Socratic dialogues, and the dissemination of reflections on the pedagogical nature of these dialogues against the increasing marketisation of Higher Education. This case study aims to show a change in awareness, attitude and understanding of individual participants, especially a (philosophical) revaluation of their own experience. It also aims to change the pedagogical attitudes and practices of participating teachers and lecturers.