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In
philosophy you learn haw to think not what you think
No one can
deny the significance and value of philosophy. It relies on critical
and creative thinking. A nation without philosophical thinking
remains blind to creativity and hence will grow without critical
tools to evaluate its own culture and history. In order to apprehend
the reality of human existence and progress we need to give priority
to philosophical thinking in our educational system.
Philosophy for Children (P4C) is a powerful tool. It assists them to
develop their analytic and critical skills with a lot of fun. It
does not involve teaching in a traditional sense, but encourage them
to participate in debate and listening to the views of others. It
assists them to build confidence and self esteem.
Philosophy for/with Children,
P4C is a method of teaching and learning that can be
used by any group of people. It involves the old art style of
philosophizing: questioning and answering the most important and
thoughtful issues without studying philosophy as a subject. Your
role would be to lead a P4C session, called a “Community Enquiry”
with a community group. It aims to develop the four C’s of
creative, critical, collaborative and caring thinking skills
For those who are involved with Philosophy for/with
Children, the key practice for starting and driving the whole
thinking process is indeed enquiry (interpreted as going beyond the
given information to seek understanding); and the key practice that
results in significant changes of thought and action is reflection.
'P4C', as it known, is a really powerful tool for
getting children to think - and think hard. Not only hitting all the
right thinking skills buttons across all curriculum subject areas
P4C also delivers a huge payback with regard to self-esteem, where
shy and quiet children have used P4C as a way of growing enormously
in confidence.
Philosophy for children is based on wonder and
curiosity about ideas significant in the life of students. These
ideas underpin both experiences of human life and academic
disciplines. They include ideas about truth, reality, knowledge,
evidence, freedom, justice, goodness, rights, mind, identity, love,
friendship, rules, responsibility, action, logic, language,
fairness, reason, existence, possibility, beauty, meaning, self,
time, God, infinity, human nature, and thought.The central
pedagogical tool and guiding ideal of Philosophy for Children is the
community of inquiry. In the community of inquiry, students work
together to generate and then answer their own questions about the
philosophical issues contained in purpose written materials or a
wide range of other resources. Thinking in the community of inquiry
is critical, creative, collaborative and caring.
This book contains 52 questions for the
52 weeks of a year. It is a way to keep children thinking without
keeping them away from other works at school. This is fun and an
easy way to start philosophy with children.
With the questions, it was given four possibilities or options for
children to work on issues, (write, ask, draw, think)
Each question must print in an A4
sheet, that children have enough space to draw or write what they
mean.
52 Questions
1-Who are you? How did you come to the world?
(write, ask, draw, think)
2-How or when do you think life started? Do you think it has an end?
(write, ask, draw, think)
3-Do you think there is life on other planets, and if there is, how
do the creatures look like?
(write, ask, draw, think)
4-Imagine humans grow up like plants, how do would look like?
(write, ask, draw, think)
5-Are you smart and beautiful? What is to be smart
and beautiful?
(write , ask, draw, think)
6-Do you think that other people have feelings? Can you feel what
others feel?
(write, ask, draw, think)
7-Do you think that other creatures have feelings? Can they be sad
or feel pain?
(write, ask, draw, think)
8-If you can change your self to another creature, what creature
would you like to become? Why?
(write, ask, draw, think)
9-Do you think that trees, flowers and grass have feeling? What is
your favorite flower?
(write, ask, draw, think)
10-Are you one who think, what are you thinking about?
(write, ask, draw, think)
11-Do you have emotion? What do you feel?
(write, ask, draw, think)
12-Do people know themselves before they think or they think then
they know themselves? (write,
ask, draw, think)
13-Do you like to listen to music, watch theater, look at paintings,
statues, and also dance, what are these forms of performances? What
do you name a person who paints, plays music?
(write, ask, draw, think)
14-Are you fond of sports? Do you know that sport and exercise are
important for the body to remain healthy? Why?
(write, ask, draw, think)
15-How do you know that you are healthy? Is it fun to stay healthy?
(write, ask, draw, think)
16-If we are healthy, we need to work. Why is it important to work?
We live to work, or we must work to live?
(write, ask, draw, think)
17- Are you a disabled Person? If not, think of how a disabled
person manages to do his/her daily tasks.
(write, ask, draw, think)
18-Are you happy at school? Why is it important for us to go to
school?
(write, ask, draw, think)
Which of the school subjects do you like best? Why? (write,
ask, draw, think)
19-Why should we learn mathematics, only to count? But there are
many things we cannot count. Do you know what these things are?
(write, ask, draw, think)
20-Is it important to learn all kinds of sciences?
What can you use them for?
(write,
ask, draw, think)
21-Is it important to learn a language other than your native
language? Can you speak another language? Answer this question in
the other language you can.
(write, ask, draw, think)
22-Do you know how many weeks, days, hours and minutes are in a
year? How many minutes have you lived? (write,
ask, draw, think)
23-If a person has only 24 hours to live, how will he use the time?
Can you
help
him/her
to
organize
his/her time?
(write, ask, draw, think)
24-How do you use your time daily, for example, from
8 in the morning to 8 at night?
(write, ask, draw, think)
25-Do you know that people have to sleep 8 hours in a day? Why do we
need to sleep? How many hours you sleep each day?
Do all
creatures need to sleep?
(write, ask, draw, think)
26-Most of the time we sleep inn, we dream.
Have you ever dreamt?
What did you dream about?
(write, ask, draw, think)
27-Does dream have something to do with daily experiences? Whatever
we will not be able to achieve in reality, can be achieved in
dreams? Do you have accomplished one of your dreams?
(write, ask, draw, think)
28-Do you think that other living beings dream? If they do, what do
you think they dream about? Can you draw it? Or draw a dream you've
had?
(write, ask, draw, think)
29- The four elements, air, water, soil and fir (energy) are sources
of life, therefore we have to look after them and not overuse and
abuse them. If one of the sources intended wines, do you think that
live continues? (write,
ask, draw, think)
30-We need to keep our environment clean, why? Do you take care of
the environment?
(write, ask, draw, think)
31-Do you like nature? What do you like most, mountains, valleys,
forests or landscapes, why?
(write, ask, draw, think)
32-Do you know what love is? How do you describe it? Do you love
someone or something? Why? (write,
ask, draw, think)
33-Do you look at people and things and love them because they are
beautiful? Are they beautiful only in your eyes? (write,
ask, draw, think)
34-How do the nearest people (your sister, your brother and your
friends) know that you love them? Is it necessary to declare your
love or you keep it hidden?
(write, ask, draw, think)
35- When people are in the mother's womb, when they sleep, get sick,
and die, they are always alone. Does that mean we are always lonely
even though we live among people?
(write, ask, draw, think)
36-Do you feel lonely? Do you think other people also feel lonely?
(write, ask, draw, think)
37-Do you think people always understand you, or only sometimes? Do
you often understand them or seldom?
(write, ask, draw, think)
38-Sometimes we call what the others are doing "wrong". How do you
know that an action is "wrong" or "right"? If other people have
acted incorrectly, do you warn them? Do you like that the others
warn your mistakes as well?
(write, ask, draw, think)
39-Do you want to do everything what you want, without being
stopped? Why? Do you think that other people have the same desire as
well?
(write, ask, draw, think)
40-Laws and regulations are programs people found them to arrange
their lives, and to organize relations between them. If everyone
follows the laws and regulations, do you think life will be better
and easier? How? (write,
ask, draw, think)
41-Laws must be respected and followed, if not, we get penalties.
Who says law makes no mistake? Do you follow or respect a law when
you do not like or agree with it?
(write, ask, draw, think)
42-Clothing is a personal right, but from the day we are born,
family, social policy, religion, law and even politics, determines
the type of clothes we wear. Can we dress what we want everywhere
and at any time?
(write, ask, draw, think)
43- If everyone does what they want, and take what they want without
being stopped, do you think life would be easier or more difficult?
(write, ask, draw, think)
44-A philosopher has said “you became what you eat" if you eat an
apple, or chicken and lam, do you become like them?
(write, ask, draw, think)
45- People are important and should be respected, but sometimes and
in some places, there are some people who are more important and
respected due to their power, wealth, and knowledge they have. They
could be artists or beautiful! How do you respect people? Do you
respect them because they are human beings or they are powerful?
(write, ask, draw, think)
46- Poetry, Prose, short story, novel, and drama are various kinds
of literature. What do you like most among them? Some people
believe that literature makes life more beautiful! What if
literature does not exist? (write,
ask, draw, think)
47-Why should children obey parents, teachers and elders? If elders
are wrong, should children obey them? (write,
ask, draw, think)
48-When the others ask you to do something, or complete a task, why
are you going to do it, it's because:
-you believe in what you were asked?
-or because an older person gave you order?
-or because it was a law?
-or because you are afraid of being punished if you do not obey?
(write, ask, draw, think)
49-Is it important to help other people? Why? Do you help only those
you know, or all those who need it?
(write, ask, draw, think)
50-Do you help others for your own satisfaction? Or you think they
will be satisfied with you?
(write, ask, draw, think)
51-Do you think human beings, animals, plants, earth and the whole
universe are made by chance or God has created them?
(write, ask, draw, think)
52-
Do you think that life without question
and wondering is easier or more difficult?
(write,
ask, draw, think)
Many thanks to Dr. Muhammad Kamal
for the help he gave me to correct English language for the book.
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