Teaching subjects: The education and narration of selves in Western philosophy

Who and/or what is "the subject" of Western philosophy? This query frames interconnected concerns about teaching philosophy and issues of canon formation within the discipline of philosophy in many U.S. educational institutions. I argue that the production of philosophy as a field of study currently replicates historical exclusions. Using feminist methodologies as well as textual analysis of canonical literature, this work focuses on issues of representation created by the texts' positions as sites of authority rather than strictly within the works themselves. An investigation of the ambiguity between philosophy as a discipline and philosophy as the product of activity (of reflective thinking) illuminates the incongruous nature of these exclusions.;The individual's role in constructing knowledge within the ontological tradition, from Plato's request to "know thyself" to Sartre's radical self-creation, calls into question the relation between an individual and institutions of knowledge (including that very tradition). Relying on a theoretical understanding of the role of narrative in forming an individual's sense of self, my contention is that the history of Western philosophy, as a larger social narrative which informs the narratives individuals produce, should not impede the formation of a unique, located sense of self.;An understanding of education as a process of inquiry further supports the claim that philosophical study should expand the learners' sense of their own possibilities and that philosophical education should be a means toward liberation from oppressive practices. Understanding "philosophy" as a "love of wisdom" emphasizes an active search for knowledge, which often involves critiques of the field itself and demands participation in its very (re)formation. If the discipline is to avoid encroaching on students' self-development, it needs to focus on philosophy as an activity, not a prescribed set of texts.