The idea that young children can do philosophy has instant appeal. Their endless questioning about anything under the sun – and beyond – persuades many teachers and parents that this ancient subject comes naturally to children.
Philosophy with Children (PwC), however, involves more than just asking philosophical questions or wondering about the world. A philosophical enquiry between a large group of peers is a highly disciplined activity and it can be argued that making it part and parcel of an ordinary school day makes unnatural demands on the young child psychologically. This is Richard Fox’s standpoint in Can children be philosophical? (published in the previous issue of Teaching Thinking Issue 4).
Here I examine some of his arguments. I have presented a more extensive and detailed response to critics of PwC in Can Children Do Philosophy? (Murris, 2000; for the text see also www.dialogueworks.co.uk). Also, in Metaphors of the Child’s Mind (Murris, 1997), I focus in particular on the metaphors underpinning our thinking about (children’s) thinking.
Fox is eager to point out that PwC practitioners need to accept the findings of developmental psychology. Children’s psychological development, he says, limits the extent to which they can be taken seriously as philosophers. Fox structures his doubts about PwC in four ‘problems’.
The loss of adult philosophers