Silence in the Dialogue as a Problem of the Philosophy of Education

The phenomenon of silence in various spheres of human spiritual life has repeatedly become the subject of philosophical and scientific-humanitarian reflections. The topic of silence (contemplation) was also discussed in the context of epistemological problems. This article discusses the role of silence as an element of dialogue and its role in the formation of processes of motivation to self-learning for a person, who lives in a constantly changing world, i.e. it is considered from the perspective of the philosophy of education. The author focuses his attention on the didactic and methodological aspects of the phenomenon of silence of the student, that is connected with the assimilation of the value bases of learning. This kind of silence is the basis for the active reproduction of the knowledge and understanding of the students of themselves and the world. The author suggests that the effectiveness of silence involves the correlation of the teaching process with cultural and historical contexts, the silent perception of which, going parallel to the assimilation of the subject material, becomes the basis for the activation of self-consciousness of the student. In particular, the role of such contexts is effectively performed by the teacher's appeals to historical memory, accompanying information about a particular subject of study and, principally, tacitly perceived by the student. The author argues that the inclusion of the historical memory of society in the educational process, carried out in the personal contact of the teacher and the student (but not in the process of mastering the latest information obtained through digital technologies), allows a person to gain the ability to meaningfully remain silent, "revealing" themselves, their meanings and learning goals. However, silence in this case activates the person's ability to ask questions and to conduct heuristic dialogue.