The virtues of getting lost and then getting found again: mapmaking for philosophers

Lead Author: Karl Egerton

Additional authors:

Timetable: ,

Description:

For this session I will explore the conference theme through the lens of the woods as a place to get lost, applied to the philosophy student who finds themselves confused about where they are in a complex body of literature. Such students often rely heavily on lecture notes, online summaries and increasingly LLMs to come up with a simple description of a debate rather than persevering with the difficult work and arriving at their own understanding of the shape of the debate. I want to provide an opportunity for students to see the process of trying to figure out what is going on as a valuable part of learning rather than as a sign of failing to have the ‘right answer’.

In the session I will test two versions of an activity intended to encourage groups of students to embrace getting lost and then finding their way. Both versions will ask participants to make maps based on partial information: they will have an initial set of information that they use to create a provisional map, followed by drawing cards which provide additional features that they need to accommodate. They will begin by creating the maps independently, before coming together to find a way to reconcile the information and produce a map that meets both of their requirements, an activity that requires teamwork, playfulness and the flexibility to reassess initial assumptions. A ‘warm-up’ version will ask participants to create an actual map through the description of different geographical features, while a ‘topical’ version will ask participants to apply the same principles to mapping connections between fragments of philosophical content – though participants will also be encouraged to make this as map-like as they can, as they are free to add and name further features of the landscape! After both versions of the activity are finished, participants will have a physical representation of their playful engagement with the idea of getting lost and then getting found again.

This session is most suitable for being a spotlight/drop-in as this is an early test of the activity and a flexible ongoing space will provide the opportunity for two-way feedback – I hope that the activity will provide useful ideas for other conference attendees to work with but that they will also be able to guide its development and help to iron out flaws in set-up, explanation and scope.

References, web links and other resources: