philosophic communities of inquiry: the search for and finding of meaning as the basis for developing a sense of responsibility

Abstract

Examining the way in which philosophic communities of inquiry serve as a dialogical space that enables a search for meaning on the personal and collective plane, this article seeks to expand the discussion of how/whether finding meaning on a private or communal level can promote recognition of the existential uniqueness of each individual and the development of a sense of responsibility for him or her. Grounded in the writings of Matthew Lipman, it links his ideas about finding meaning in philosophic communities of inquiry with those of Sartre, Frankl, and Levinas, in particular with regard to the association between meaning and responsibility.