Michael Oakeshott

High school (ages 12+)
Philosophy & Big Questions

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/michael-oakeshott

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. When was Michael Oakeshott born?December 11, 1901
2. When did Michael Oakeshott die?December 19, 1990
3. What nationality was Michael Oakeshott?English
4. What is the academic position?Professor of Political Science at the London School of Economics
5. What is the major works?Experience and Its Modes (1933), Rationalism in Politics and Other Essays (1962)
6. Who was Michael Oakeshott?Michael Oakeshott was an English philosopher born in 1901 who wrote about history, politics, and education. He liked to talk about tradition and practical knowledge.

Rationalism (in Oakeshott's sense): A disposition to rely on abstract principles and theoretical knowledge over practical experience and tradition.
Tradition: Inherited practices and customs that embody accumulated wisdom and guide social behavior.
Practical Knowledge: Knowledge gained through experience and participation, often tacit and difficult to articulate explicitly.
Aesthetics: The branch of philosophy concerned with beauty, art, and taste.