Alternative ways of addressing philosophy for children.

Abstract

1. Why teach Philosophy for Children? Philosophy for children (P4C) has been questioned not only because it is believed to be beyond the reach of pre-adolescents but also because some assume it will distract students from the core subjects of the curricula, while at the same time encouraging skepticism more than learning. In times of school ratings and standardized tests, a prevailing thought is that there is no time for such a “useless” thing as “drifting speculation”. Although we could argue that philosophical inquiry has the power to both infuse meaningfulness into education as a whole and make a decisive contribution to foster critical thinking and overcome the hived off disciplinary approach; that it can promote children’s ability to think for themselves at the same time that it encourages them to think with others, within a community of inquiry, the latter being, in and of itself, a strong context for developing inclusive socialization, which is one of the higher aims for education nowadays (Banks & Banks, 2010). (...)