Press Release
Philosophy: the key to good thinking
2 July 2008
Children of all ages should study philosophy in school because it is the basis of critical thinking, say leading philosophers of education.
This is one of several arguments for including philosophy on the school curriculum put forward in a new book, Philosophy in Schools, edited by Michael Hand of the Institute of Education and Carrie Winstanley of Roehampton University.
“Critical thinkers are people who reason well, and who judge and act on the basis of their reasoning,” says Dr Hand. “To become critical thinkers, children must learn what constitutes good reasoning and why it’s important – and these are philosophical matters.”
In philosophy, the quality of arguments and the meanings of words are constantly under scrutiny. Dr Winstanley says: “Better than any other subject, philosophy teaches children how to assess reasons, defend positions, define terms, evaluate sources of information and judge the value of arguments and evidence."
Philosophy also allows younger children to engage in discussion and argument even before they know very much.
Dr Winstanley explains: “In knowledge-based subjects, discussion is dominated by the children with the most facts at their fingertips. Because philosophical questions can’t be settled by factual evidence, discussion doesn’t get derailed by missing knowledge or closed down by the introduction of new information.”
Other themes addressed in the book include: the role of philosophy in teaching controversial issues, conceptual analysis in the primary classroom, philosophical thinking in moral and religious education, the idea of philosophical intelligence, philosophical themes in children's literature, philosophy and the adolescent's search for meaning, and the connection between philosophy and wisdom.
Dr Hand concludes: “Exposure to philosophy should be part of the basic educational entitlement of all children.”
Philosophy in Schools, published by Continuum, will be launched at the Institute of Education on 2 July.
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