That philosophy guides the Ethics Department Chair, Sr. Joseph Murphy, for his first-time tenth grade students. Sr. Murphy explains that, “they [students] think of opinions somehow like it’s property that they ‘own it’ somehow, but they really don’t own it fully until they can argue for it. Knowledge in a certain sense is a process, and you have to arrive at a conclusion through a process.”
Over this past Summer 2021, Ethics Department Chair Sr. Joe Murphy contributed a chapter within the anthology Intentional Disruption: Expanding Access to Philosophy (2021) published by Vernon Press. The anthology edited by Stephen Miller outlines how educators in philosophy have implemented the discipline at the pre-college level.
Students are always “in process” in class, formulating their ideas, at times, only in Spanish. Joe Murphy’s chapter “Once a Philosopher-In-Hiding: Teaching Philosophy in Spanish in the USA” details his journey from being the language department chair to trailblazing the now expansive ethics department curricula. He is one of few educators to integrate second language education with philosophical inquiry emphasizing that, “language is a way that we identify ourselves. When we talk and when we use language, it’s one of the ways that we make sense of the world.”
Philosophical education in high schools is often attributed as “critical thinking”. Sr. Murphy argues that what precedes the idea of “critical thinking” is first philosophical inquiry. He has seen what it provides in little moments: parents amazed with how their children have learned to discuss hard questions over the dinner table. Sr. Murphy hopes and implores other schools, administrators, and philosophers-in-hiding to take the leap. After all, they will become the philosophers and leaders of our future.
Save the Date for TEDxDwight-Englewood School 2026!
TEDxDwight-Englewood School 2026 is almost here! The production team is hard at work getting ready for the second-annual event, being held on Thursday, February 19, at 6 PM in Hajjar Auditorium. This year’s event once again features D-E Upper School student presenters speaking on the theme of “Learning Unbound: Igniting the Future,” with a mission of “sharing ideas worth spreading.” Featured speakers are Cooper Carragher-Haim ’26, Megan Rhee ’29, Arnav Garg ’28, Kylie Karageozian ’27, Jason Lee ’27, and Tyler Pinniger ’27. Learn more about the event by clicking the link in our bio!
Young Alumni Return to Campus to Discuss Life After D-E
Earlier this winter, the School hosted a “Life After D-E” Young Alumni Panel Discussion in Hajjar Auditorium, during which graduates of the Classes of 2021-2025 shared with us how D-E has impacted their lives in college and beyond. As articulated by these young alumni, our Upper School students have opportunities to explore their passions and choose their own path as they move into the world. To read their reflections on what sets D-E apart from other schools and why they will always have a home, a community, at Dwight-Englewood, click the link in our bio!
Stage Band/ Jazz Workshop & Chorus Collab Concert on Monday, Feb 9
Our student musicians are getting ready to perform Gershwin (“Prelude 2”), Garner (“Misty”), “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters, and more, when D-E Performing Arts presents their annual, collaborative Stage Band / Jazz Workshop and Chorus Concert. The concert is Monday,...
3rd Grade FLL Robotics Teams Shine at Explore Event
Congratulations to our incredible 3rd Grade First LEGO League (FLL) Robotics Teams, who shined at the recent FLL Explore event at Princeton Day School! “We couldn’t be prouder of our students,” said Ms. Li, Lower School (LS) STEM teacher, who coaches the LS Robotics...
MS “Anatomy of a Human” Consortium Highlights
To launch its Anatomy of a Human Project, 7th grade faculty recently facilitated an Anatomy of Human Consortium, during which several D-E parents graciously took time out of their busy days in the medical field to visit the Middle School and share about their medical...
D-E Community Shines During Annual Cultural Showcase 2026
“Inviting Peace” was the theme of “Our World House: A Cultural Showcase,” a now-annual School event organized by the Department for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB), for which students from the Lower School (LS), Middle School (MS), and Upper School...
D-E Performing Arts Proudly Presents MS & LS Choral Concert Thursday, Feb. 5
Rehearsals are underway for D-E Performing Arts’ next upcoming live concert! The Middle & Lower School Choral Concert is this Thursday, Feb. 5, at 7 PM in Hajjar Auditorium (2nd Floor, D-E Campus Center). Look forward to hearing toe-tapping, intriguingly-titled...
PA Hosts LS/MS Book Fair & PJ Party
Paws for reading! Our Lower & Middle School Book Fair, hosted by our incredibly D-Edicated Parents’ Association, kicked off in grand fashion. On Saturday, Lower School (LS) students wore their comfy clothes for a PJ Party in Hajjar Auditorium, where Head of School...
US BLADE Club Hosts Annual Career Assembly
The Business Leaders at Dwight-Englewood (BLADE) student organization hosted its annual Career Assembly this week for the entire Upper School. Building on feedback from last year’s event, which included a single panel of guests from a variety of professions in Schenck...
Sixth Grade Identity Unit Culminates With Food Festival
In a culmination of the Sixth Grade Food & Identity Unit that began two weeks ago, students recently presented their hard work across their MESH (Math, English, Science, and History) classes to D-E families in Hajjar Auditorium. The presentations were followed by...