Hand Gestures for Critical Discussion

Merlin MCC | Talking with Your Hands

So…apparently we have a thing for talking with our hands.  So do Jasmine Johnson & Alice May Williams of MoreUtopia! – who put together this hilarious glossary of hand gestures for critical discussion.  To see the animated version (we highly suggest that you do!) click here or on the picture…

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Can Philosophy Help Us Deal With Death?

Merlin MCC | Philosophy & Death

When it comes to death, philosophers’ have often focused their attention on what death means for the person who has died.  But what about those who are “left behind”?  Julian Baggini – philosopher, author & founding editor of The Philosopher’s Magazine — discusses three dimensions of death: what death means…

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Can Awe Promote Altruism & Prosocial Behavior?

Merlin MCC | Scholarly Articles | General

Awe, the Small Self, and Prosocial Behavior Piff, Paul K., Pia Dietze, Matthew Feinberg, Daniel M. Stancato, and Dacher Keltner, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 108:6 (2015): 883-889. ABSTRACT:  Awe is an emotional response to perceptually vast stimuli that transcend current frames of reference. Guided by conceptual analyses of…

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Making Critical Thinking Part of the Curriculum

Merlin MCC | Making Critical Thinking Part of the Broader Curriculum

Critical thinking is an important skill to cultivate and not just for those in the sciences.  According to psychologist Rachel Grieve, it should be part of the broader curriculum.  Why?  “Being able to actively consider and evaluate information, identify biases, examine the logic of arguments, and tolerate ambiguity until the…

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Does Kindness Matter?

Merlin MCC | Does Kindness Matter?

Does kindness matter?  Can it really that make much of a difference in your life?  What about the lives of others?  What does it even mean to be kind?  His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, for example, speaks of kindness & compassion in conjunction with happiness; he also…

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The Power of Ideas

Merlin MCC | The Power of Ideas

Do ideas really matter?  If so, why and how?  Here is an insightful & awe-inspiring look from philosopher and filmmaker Jason Silva at some of the biological and cultural reasons behind the power of ideas…and why and how they have significance.  Buckle your seat-belts, kids…we promise you’re going to enjoy…

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Cognitive Science & Teaching Critical Thinking

Merlin MCC | Critical Thinking Image | Scholarly Articles

Teaching Critical Thinking: Some Lessons from Cognitive Science Tim van Gelder, College Teaching 53:1 (2005): 41-46. ABSTRACT:  This article draws six key lessons from cognitive science for teachers of critical thinking.  The lessons are: acquiring expertise in critical thinking is hard; practice in critical thinking skills themselves enhances skills; the…

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