Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 January 2024
The author discusses in detail the basic issues related to the practice of philosophical discussions with children. He identifies and problematizes the different methods or modalities for doing philosophy with children currently practised throughout the world. He presents a series of pedagogic and didactic issues and puts forward some proposals and directions for the future that might allow us to facilitate philosophy-oriented discussions with children.
1. In his overview of Philosophie et démocratie dans le monde (Paris: Livre de poche/Editions UNESCO, 1995, pp. 102—6) Roger-Pol Droit made the distinction between the ‘English-speaking model’, where philosophy is ‘restricted to certain university departments’ and ‘political education is carried out elsewhere’, and the ‘French-speaking or Latin culture model’, where philosophy is taught in secondary school and ‘should help develop citizens’ thinking capacity’.
2. Cf. the warning in the Republic (VII, 539b—539c) advising against developing the eristic spirit in children and young people.
3. On these two points see my proposals for UNESCO in the first part of the report La Philosophie, une école de la liberté (2008), http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001536/153601F.pdf.