Teaching honesty in a populist era: Emphasizing truth in the education of citizens

In this review I commend philosopher and author, Sarah Stitzlein, for forwarding her view of pragmatist inquiry – an honorable problem-solving pedagogical approach that requires a commitment to civic honesty and recognizes peoples’ lived experiences as valid sources of knowledge. The approach is timely and appealing because it facilitates the collaboration of citizens from across the political spectrum via the formation of publics within which members sincerely consider the lived experiences of diverse fellows in conjunction with relevant scientific findings to propose, enact, and evaluate solutions to societal problems. Although I believe the approach to be a promising one, within the review I advocate for the articulation of additional guidance for those who will facilitate students’ pragmatist inquiries. Specifically, I raise concern about the possibility that some facilitators’ long-held beliefs (e.g. individuals with a history of privileging scientifically unverifiable ‘truths’ over empirically supported ones) could shape students’ inquiries in ways counter to Stitzlein’s vision.