Teaching critical thinking virtues and vices: the case for Twelve Angry Men

Hanscomb, S. (2019) Teaching critical thinking virtues and vices: the case for Twelve Angry Men. Teaching Philosophy, 42(3), pp. 173-195. (doi: 10.5840/teachphil2019726105)

Abstract

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.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Hanscomb, Dr Stuart
• Authors: Hanscomb, S.
• Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > B Philosophy (General); B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BC Logic; B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BH Aesthetics
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social & Environmental Sustainability
• Journal Name: Teaching Philosophy
• Publisher: Philosophy Documentation Center
• ISSN: 0145-5788
• ISSN (Online): 2153-6619
• Published Online: 08 August 2019
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2019 Teaching Philosophy
• First Published: First published in Teaching Philosophy 2019
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher