Schoolchildren Learn About Practical Philosophy

By Good German on January 7, 2012 in News 10

Plato & Aristotle (Portait by Raffaello Sanzio)

Children could learn valuable lessons in moral citizenship, such as making moral judgements and informed choices, through taking part in philosophical dialogue, according to researchers at Strathclyde. A study of more than 130 primary and secondary pupils found that taking part in practical philosophy sessions improved the children’s listening skills, gave them greater respect for other people, encouraged them to consider other perspectives and ideas they may not otherwise have thought about and helped them analyse problems so that they are thought through before making decisions.

The sessions, following an approach known as Community of Philosophical Inquiry (CoPI), involved pupils being given a stimulus such as a picture, a piece of writing or a piece of music and being asked to come up with questions prompted by it. A question was chosen and a structured dialogue followed, facilitated by a teacher trained in CoPI.

Dr Claire Cassidy, a Lecturer in Education at Strathclyde, led the research. She said: “Doing practical philosophy in this way provides children with tools to enable them to participate as active citizens…

Read more here.

Philosophy

Anonymous

School children don’t really exist. They’re an illusion, man.
Anarchy Pony

I still find the “golden rule” to be golden. What’s more simple and to the point than treat others as you wish to be treated? At a basic level. Don’t want to be murdered? Then don’t murder other people. Don’t want to be stolen from? Don’t steal from other people.
Simple and to the point, if a little unsophisticated.
Anarchy Pony

I still find the “golden rule” to be golden. What’s more simple and to the point than treat others as you wish to be treated? At a basic level. Don’t want to be murdered? Then don’t murder other people. Don’t want to be stolen from? Don’t steal from other people.
Simple and to the point, if a little unsophisticated.
http://www.facebook.com/elpolloloco52 Josh Adkisson

…that’s not really all that funny.
Hadrian999

or they could plato to mold impressionable children into little authoritarian fascists
Andrew

“I think the Golden Rule, which is often thought of as the center, really, of Christianity, is a mistake: ‘Do unto others as you would be done by.’ I think this is a mistaken thought. We should do unto others as they would be done by.”

– John Cage
Malk

teaching children something worthwhile?? what a concept! If someone had made any small attempt to teach me how to focus, how to strive for good, why to strive for good, or expanded my view of the world at all I’m sure I would have been a much smarter little tot than I was.

All I was ever taught was lies about the civil war and western expansion, on top of mathematics I never used and regurgitated English, nothing to do with literature or rhetoric. I was never taught how to fear banks and credit cards, how to cook and clean, how to grow vegetables, how to practice proper hygiene.

Education isn’t easy, but where grew up they are still doing a horrible, standardized, job. Three cheers for trying something new.
Anonymous

It wasn’t a joke.
Tuna Ghost

this would be a danger, but thankfully Plato is more or less thought of in the philosophical community as a guy that asked all the right questions but got all of them wrong
truth hurts

my parents read Plato and Socrates in school… i analyzed literature, art, architecture when i was in junior high… when did they STOP teaching philosophy? oh right.. when i was in high school people were talking about all the arts losing their funding. i guess it only took two decades to produce people incapable of independent thought…