Philosophy taught in primary school

[Ross Barlow]

Here is a link to an interesting BBC News online article about a school in Scotland that has experimented with teaching philosophy to children as young as four in their primary level.

http://tinyurl.com/2yzdzm

The University of Dundee researchers tracked these students as they went on to secondary levels, and they claim to see many benefits including high self-esteem. It looks very encouraging.

From the article:

“Philosophy can be described as rational investigation of existence, ethics and knowledge, experts said.

…

“They ask children simple, open-ended questions such as "how do you know that? What shows that?".”

-Ross Barlow.

[Barbara Branden]

Ross, that experiment in teaching philosophy to chlldren, and in the manner described, is the most hopeful thing for the future I've read in many years. What a wonderful gift to give a child!

Barbara

[Ross Barlow]

Ross, that experiment in teaching philosophy to chlldren, and in the manner described, is the most hopeful thing for the future I've read in many years. What a wonderful gift to give a child!

Well said, Barbara. The approach of this educational program – at least as indicated in the article – equips children with a *scientific* attitude toward viewing the world, a reality-based outlook, and an *objective* orientation.

Aristotle, in his *Nicomachean Ethics*, emphasizes the cultivation of virtues as habit, as a way of living and of thinking. Instilling reasonableness, objectivity and questioning in children at the start of their intellectual journey is to train them to be truly human (in the highest sense).

-Ross Barlow.

[SaulOhio]

My first reaction was "Teaching philosophy to 4 year-olds? Sounds more like indoctrination. Then I got to this part:

“They ask children simple, open-ended questions such as "how do you know that? What shows that?".”

THATS the right approach. That is THE most important question to ask EVER. If you get children into the habbit of asking that from an early age, you can't go wrong.

[tjohnson]

My first reaction was "Teaching philosophy to 4 year-olds? Sounds more like indoctrination. Then I got to this part:

“They ask children simple, open-ended questions such as "how do you know that? What shows that?".”

THATS the right approach. That is THE most important question to ask EVER. If you get children into the habbit of asking that from an early age, you can't go wrong.

Yes, that's not what I would call philosophy either, more like scientific method