Common sense

High school (ages 12+)
Thinking & Learning

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/common-sense

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the etymological origin?Latin 'sensus communis,' also related to Ancient Greek 'koinḕ aísthēsis.'
2. What is the historical philosophical context?Aristotle's concept of a unifying sensory faculty; Roman emphasis on social sensitivity
3. Where does the word common sense come from?The word comes from Latin "sensus communis," meaning a shared sense that everyone can use.
4. Why do some people say common sense can be wrong?Common sense can be influenced by habits, culture, or old ideas, so sometimes it leads to mistakes or unfair thoughts.

Epistemology: The branch of philosophy concerned with the theory of knowledge.
Empiricism: The theory that all knowledge is derived from sense-experience.
Conventional Wisdom: Commonly held beliefs or opinions that are widely accepted.