φιλοσοφία

philia sophia
love + wisdom
philosophy
Teacher provides the
material...

...chooses and directs

the questions...

...and often has a

definitive answer in
mind.

The child answers the

question hoping that
they have got the
teacher’s answer.
Community
of
Enquiry
The teacher provides
the stimulus.

The children choose

the question,
which has competing
reasonable answers.

The children contribute

to the answer, listening
to others, reflecting on
all the contributions
and directing their
thoughts to the enquiry
not the teacher.
Stimulus
Copyright Jason Buckley 2011
www.thephilosophyman.com
You need to think of questions that...
...make you think.

...invite different opinions.

...aren’t just a matter of taste/likes/dislikes.

...are not questions that science could answer.

...couldn’t be answered using Google.

...make for an interesting, reasoned discussion.

...are questions that you care about.

You need to think of questions that...
... include more people, not just the ones in the story

…let you think about things you know instead of just

what is in the story
Is appearance everything?
When should you give up?
Does size matter?
What is the point of fighting a battle you know
you can’t win?
Should you look up or down on your enemies?
Is any obstacle in life too big to overcome?
Can man move mountains?
Philosophy for Children

The central principle, as expressed by

Matthew Lipman, its founder, is that
teachers establish: ‘an intellectually
provocative environment in which children
can discuss in a free and open fashion
themes that interest them.’ This
environment—the community of enquiry—is
a safe forum for intellectual risk taking but
is also ‘impelled by the spirit of enquiry and
guided by logical and philosophical
considerations’

(Matthew Lipman Philosophy goes to

School,1988, p128).
Thinkers’
Games
 Think Structure for
games that
Commit encourage a
Justify community of
enquiry to
Reflect develop.
 Think about a
Commit question that
has competing
Justify reasonable
Reflect answers
 publicly to an
Think answer by
moving yourself
Commit or stuff
Justify
Reflect
 Think
your answer
Commit using your best
Justify reasons
Reflect
 on what you
Think have heard and
Commit show if you have
changed your
Justify mind
Reflect
A conceptual education. P4Cers think about
concepts that are
common
(we share them)
central
(we care about them)
contestable
(we can disagree about them)
Happiness Friendship Power
Success Freedom Needs
Wisdom Courage Beauty

most...least
most...least important ingredient
best...least good example
 Which is the most important
thing about a friend?
a. You can trust them.
b. You like the same things.
c. They spend time with you.
d. Something else.
Why?
 Which is the most important
thing about a king or queen?

a. They can win wars.

b. Their people love them.
c. Their people fear them.
d. Something else.
Why?
 Which is the most important
thing about a story?

a. The characters.
b. What happens.
c. The way it ends.
d. Something else.
Why?
 What do all languages have to
have?

a. Words.
b. Sounds.
c. Meanings.
d. Something else.
Why?
 Which of these makes someone
a leader?

a. Personality.
b. Power.
c. Followers.
d. Something else.
Why?
 Vote With Your Feet
Philosopher’s Fruit Salad
Sort Yourselves Out
Concept Lines
Which and Why?
The Dividing Line
 Insert any picture of interest.

Searching concepts on google images is a good start.

• I see

• I feel

• I think

• I wonder

• My Question
 Enquiry
Chauffeur
 Traffic
• Ping-pong
• Boys to girls to boys
• Assume speaking: five in a row
 Braking
• 3 lives/ famous last words
• No girls (or boys) allowed
• Agree/disagree… because
• Use a conch
 Accelerating
• Back to pairs, groups
• Get physical
• Be provocative
 The role of the facilitator
• A listener
• Learning is collaborative not
directed
• Children are experts of their own
experience
• Encouraging the building of ideas
by ‘connecting’ contributions
 The role of the facilitator
• A guide:
• Following the enquiry and
putting your own interest on
hold
• Making strategic decisions to
maintain enquiry: learning is not
directed but it’s not directionless
either!
 The role of the facilitator
• A guardian:
• Guarding emotionally (without
being over protective)
• Guarding intellectually (don’t let
the enquiry degenerate into
sloppy thinking, anecdote
swapping, therapy or a
confessional session)
• Sharing responsibility
 The role of the facilitator

•A co-enquirer:
•Being prepared to change
your mind and move into the
unknown
•You do not have a definitive
answer either
Are they thinking?
Are they thinking for themselves?
(Roger Sutcliffe)
 Encouraging philosophical moves
Reasoning Defining Speculating
Justifying Implications Assumptions
Evidence Contradiction Clarification
Uncertainty Consequences Consistency
Principles Generalising Particularising

www.outspark.org.uk
 Encouraging philosophical moves
Reasoning Defining Speculating
Justifying Implications Assumptions
Evidence Contradiction Clarification
Uncertainty Consequences Consistency
Principles Generalising Particularising

Requesting– to prompt moves

Pondering – showing your own moves
Recognising – when pupils make moves
Probing – pushing an individual to make a move
www.outspark.org.uk
This is the Chinese
character for “listen”.

It has five elements.

What do you think they

mean?
ear
 you
ear
 you
ear eyes
 you
ear eyes
undivided
attention
 you
ear eyes
undivided
attention

heart
Who does the talking?

59%
41%
Before P4C
Who does the talking?

66%
34%
After P4C
 Ann Sharp
‘..an atmosphere of trust in which each
person feels valued and respected.’

‘To be taken seriously does not manifest itself

in blanket acceptance of each and every
opinion that we voice.’

‘P4C aims… to bring about the transformation

of persons into more reasonable individuals
committed to the creation of a reasonable
world.’
TOPIC

TOYS
TOPIC > CONCEPTS

Child/grown up Girls/boys

Outgrowing toys Play/work

TOYS
Favourite toys Living/nonliving
Imagination Traditional
/imitation /modern
TOPIC > CONCEPTS > QUESTIONS

Why do children Should some toys be

have more toys? just for girls?
What makes Would it be dull
something to play forever?
“grown up”?
Can you What can count
love a toy? as a toy?
Why do we pretend? Are toys better now
than 100 years ago?
TOPIC > CONCEPTS > QUESTIONS > ACTIVITIES

Home/school Story of twins with

dialogue about toys swapped toys
Bring in a new “How To Live
and a “too old Forever”
for” toy.
In or Out Game
Can you
love a toy?
Story of a boy How many ways
who couldn’t can you play
pretend with…
TOPIC > CONCEPTS > QUESTIONS > ACTIVITIES > SKILLS

Giving reasons, Imagining

disagreeing agreeably alternatives
Challenging
Examples, assumptions
similarities

Types of love – Defining,

making distinctions categorising

Empathetic Creativity/
thinking brainstorming
TOPIC > CONCEPTS > QUESTIONS > ACTIVITIES > SKILLS > MISSING?

Giving reasons, Imagining

disagreeing agreeably alternatives
Challenging
Examples, assumptions
similarities

Types of love – Defining,

making distinctions categorising

Empathetic Creativity/
Questioning>
Question the thinking brainstorming
teddy bear
TOPIC > CONCEPTS > QUESTIONS > ACTIVITIES > SKILLS > MISSING? > BIG QUESTION

Giving reasons, Imagining

disagreeing agreeably alternatives
Challenging
Examples, assumptions
similarities

Types of love – Defining,

making distinctions categorising

Empathetic Creativity/
Questioning>
Question the thinking brainstorming
teddy bear
WHAT MAKES A GOOD TOY?
Copyright in the presentation and content not
otherwise attributed is Jason Buckley 2011,
www.thephilosophyman.com

You are very welcome to use this in your own

training of staff in aspects of P4C, but please
mention that you got it on a SAPERE training
course, and encourage your listeners to pursue
further training if they can.
www.sapere.org.uk