It is significant to find expertly produced education in the methods of killing discourse. The fact of the internet, i.e. that it remains relevant to learners whether teachers use it or not, implies an imperative for educators concerned with improving the critical and ethical character of civil discourse. We cannot consistently pursue those educational objectives and ignore the changes the internet brings to the nature of human interaction. Rather it is important to recognize the fact of the internet sufficiently to make our lessons in critical thinking, ethics, and philosophical investigation relevant to the experiences of students who may experience more discursive exchange by e-mail than in all their classes combined. The rise of information technology is a positive opportunity for all philosophers.
Philosophy is a tradition replete with techniques for keeping conversation alive.
Philosophers are steadily taking up leading roles in defining and shaping the uses of information technology for education. This view rests on the assumption that computers involve computing and that philosophy does not compute. But if I am right and contemporary computer technology is really about communication, then philosophy becomes the obvious discipline to take on the issues thereby raised. We want to hear from philosophers across the discipline about computers, information technology, philosophical issues raised by computers, education on the internet, among other topics. Whether you maintain your own server or prefer pencil and paper, consider entering the conversation.