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Papers by Stuart Hanscomb

Environmental Ethics and Behaviour Change (book), 2018

Philosophy Now, 1994

A review of James Harris' Philosophy at 33 1/3 RPM

Teach Communication with a Sense of Humor. , 2021

Teach Communication with a Sense of Humor (Curious Academic Publishing, 2021). 'My friends say I'... more Teach Communication with a Sense of Humor (Curious Academic Publishing, 2021). 'My friends say I'm argumentative, but they're wrong, and here are three reasons why ...' Using humorous examples for teaching critical thinking and persuasive communication The irate host of a late-night satire brings ninety-seven scientists on stage to make a point he shouldn't have to make; a sitcom character's strategy in a game of darts is to aim for the bullseye; a dissolute detective uses family values to justify an affair; the dean of a community college tears up a contract he doesn't understand because it 'feels' like the right thing to do; a comedian tries to convince himself a joke he's just thought of isn't funny so that he doesn't have to get out of bed to find a pen; a college student invents an epic sequence of disasters to help break some bad news to her parents; a lawyer negotiates with a drug lord over how many of his clients' legs he should break; Donald Trump boasts about modest he is, and Ide Amin loudly breaks wind. What do the items on this unlikely list have in common? They are a sample of humorous demonstrations of poor reasoning and cognitive biases I use when teaching critical thinking and persuasive communication to university students.

Existential Analysis, 2020

The 'punk attitude' that is basic to punk music and culture is hard to define. I argue that it ca... more The 'punk attitude' that is basic to punk music and culture is hard to define. I argue that it can be more fully appreciated through a comparison with features of, and motivations behind, existentialist philosophy and literature: anti-institutionalism, nihilism, creative outputs and processes that are constantly challenging, and authentic belonging.

Teaching Philosophy, 2019

In the film and play Twelve Angry Men Juror 8 confronts the prejudices and poor reasoning of his ... more In the film and play Twelve Angry Men Juror 8 confronts the prejudices and poor reasoning of his fellow jurors, exhibiting an unwavering capacity not just to formulate and challenge arguments, but to be open-minded, stay calm, tolerate uncertainty, and negotiate in the face of considerable group pressures. In a perceptive and detailed portrayal of a group deliberation a 'wheel of virtue' is presented by the characters of Twelve Angry Men that allows for critical thinking virtues and vices to be analysed in context. This article makes the case for 1) the film being an exceptional teaching resource, and 2), drawing primarily on the ideas of Martha Nussbaum concerning contextualised detail, emotional engagement, and aesthetic distance, its educational value being intimately related to its being a work of fiction.

In his Report of a Review of Teacher Education in Scotland (2010), Donaldson presents the idea of... more In his Report of a Review of Teacher Education in Scotland (2010), Donaldson presents the idea of the 'twenty-first century teacher'. Central to this is the requirement for an 'extended professionalism' in which emphasis is placed on the development of the student teacher's academic and intellectual qualities. This article aims to analyse the role of concurrent courses (i.e. university courses taken by education students outside of core education subjects) in the development of this extended professionalism. It does so by comparing it with the 'graduate attributes' agenda adopted by many universities, and by outlining two dimensions and three possible models of the relationship between concurrent courses and the purposes of teacher education. It is argued that one of these models best fits the word and spirit of the Donaldson Report, but that further research is required to establish how different models of concurrency have been, or might be, received by students and staff on Scottish primary education degrees.

Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, Mar 2015

A case is made for how, within higher education, we might make use of the relationship that exist... more A case is made for how, within higher education, we might make use of the relationship that exists between students’ academic practices and outputs, and their character attributes such as open-mindedness, enthusiasm and perseverance. Examples of how academic practices have the capacity to reveal a range of character attributes are discussed, and even though there are very good reasons for believing this potential exists, the need is identified for further research of a kind that would stimulate engagement from students, teachers and academic support staff. Since any generalised, formalised or non-student-led application of these insights to teaching practice would be inappropriate, two points are made about the nature and application of such investigation. First, qualitative methods, and in particular narrative analysis, would be best suited to the complex, ethically sensitive and significantly idiographic nature of the relationship in question. Second, research that generated detailed case studies would also serve as an appropriate means of inspiring this form of reflection in students. This could occur either as a direct result of students engaging with these case studies, or indirectly via increased teacher and learning development staff’s sensitivity to possibilities of these kinds of dialogues occurring. A brief example from my own teaching experience indicates the form and content of the studies that I have in mind.

Cafe Philosophy, May 2014

Sartre Studies International, 2010

Cafe Philosophy, Jan 1, 2010

Phenomenology and Psychological Science, Aug 1, 2006

Learning and Teaching in Philosophical and …, Jan 1, 2007

Books by Stuart Hanscomb

Routledge Earthscan, 2017

Environmental Ethics and Behavioural Change takes a practical approach to environmental ethics th... more Environmental Ethics and Behavioural Change takes a practical approach to environmental ethics that focuses on its transformative potential for students, professionals, policy makers, activists, and concerned citizens. Proposed solutions to issues such as climate change, resource depletion and accelerating extinctions have included economic and technological fixes, national and international regulations, social marketing, and the personal integration of green values in lifestyles. This volume examines the ethical features of a range of communication strategies and technological, political and economic methods for promoting ecologically responsible practice in the face of these crises.
The central concern of the book is environmental behavioural change: inspiring, informing and catalysing reflective change in the reader, and in their ability to influence others. By making clear the forms of environmental ethics that exist, and what each implies in terms of individual and social change, the reader will be better able to formulate, commit to, articulate and promote a coherent position on how to understand and engage with environmental issues.
Reflecting the multiple factors affecting our environment, Environmental Ethics and Behavioural Change adopts a multidisciplinary approach that draws from a range of academic specialisms. It provides a clear introduction to the main ethical theories; explains how different constellations of principles that shape the main environmental philosophies and movements have developed over time; and, how these relate to contemporary political philosophical views. Just as importantly, it explores the spectrum of current and proposed methods for addressing environmental sustainability; how they can be applied to contemporary social issues and professional practices; and, how these can be communicated effectively to stakeholders such as businesses, local communities, consumers and government. These techniques range from principles supporting wise technological choices, the psychology of behavioural change, and the politics of individual, group and societal choices.
Ethical theories outlined and discussed include utilitarianism, deontology and neo- Aristotelianism, and the spectrum of green philosophical paradigms include anthropocentric, ecocentric and biocentric value systems, deep ecologies and social ecologies. Examples and case studies are drawn from contemporary issues such as fracking, windfarms, geo-engineering, and transition towns; and the approaches to communication and behaviour change examined include strategies and tactics associated with technological fixes, free markets, ethical consumption, constitutional politics, community-based initiatives, symbolic actions and direct action; and tactics such as social marketing and practice theory.
For each ethical paradigm our analysis involves:
* An exploration of the behaviours that it requires of individuals and organisations.
* An examination of the practical possibilities and barriers associated with communicating its principles, and with communicating the forms of attitude and behaviour change it demands.
* An assessment of the limitations that its principles place on the types of communication and behaviour change strategies and tactics that can be employed, and whether or not they might be seen to be effective.
Yet the book is more than a compendium of techniques: throughout, it stresses the ethical implications of environmental action, explaining why practitioners need to be sensitive to issues of power and inequality, autonomy and collective responsibility, in order to promote workable, resilient and morally defensible revisions of current social practices.

Drafts by Stuart Hanscomb

It's common for stand-up comedians to tell stories as well as, or instead of, jokes. Stories brin... more It's common for stand-up comedians to tell stories as well as, or instead of, jokes. Stories bring something extra to the performance, and when presented as true add a further layer of appeal. However, most stories told as if true by comedians are not true. A categorizing of forms of comedic story is presented involving the dimensions of grammatical person and truthfulness. Some advantages of comedians' employing true first-person stories are discussed, and these considerations are then explored through the role of autobiography in the work of Doug Stanhope. Many aspects of Stanhope's (highly unusual) life find their way into his shows, and true stories and his personality more broadly are folded into other elements of his act (such as his political views). Links are made with Kierkegaard's notion of 'inwardness' and Carl Rogers' therapeutic 'congruence' and 'transparency', and it's argued that authenticity is a prerequisite for the quality of self-disclosure that is basic to Stanhope's excellence. ______________________________________