Files
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ISBN
0-916834-30-1
Target Grades
Elementary School
Publication Date
1996
Publisher
Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children
Number of Pages
83
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Summary
Pixie has invented this short novel, which is the sequel to the story she narrated in the novel Pixie. In this story, we are introduced to an intelligent giraffe confronted with a moral dilemma. The Giraffe, whose name is Nous, thinks first of what her moral obligations would be as a person of virtuous character. Brian and Pixie, along with their classmates, try to help her by discussing what a moral education should be. In so doing they help Nous decide what to do, even though it is not a decision they favor. Matthew Lipman's Nous is a wonderful springboard for getting young people to focus their discussions on ethical matters.
Excerpt
"Brian," I demanded, "does your giraffe have a name?"
He looked at me with that disgusted look he sometimes puts on and he said, "First of all, she's not my giraffe. You'd better get that straight, Pixie. Second of all, if you want to know her name, ask her for yourself when you meet her."
"Brian!" I shrieked, "I can't believe this is happening!"
The disgusted look reappeared on his face. "It's not going to happen, Pixie, if you let on to anybody about it. Do you understand that? What's more, you've got to agree to listen carefully to her, because she's in deep, deep trouble, and she needs someone who can help her with her problem. She needs someone who really cares about her, and who is willing to go way out on a limb for her."
Translations
- Dutch (Belgium): (1999) Nous: verhaal en handleiding, materiaal om te filosoferen met kinderen [Nous: Story and Manual, Material for Philosophizing with Children]. Trans. Peter Algoet, Richard Anthone, and Freddy Mortier. Leuven, Belgium: Acco.
- French (Belgium): Lipman, Matthew and Ann Margaret Sharp (2021) Noûs: Prendre une décision [Nous: Making a Decision] (combined novel and manual). Trans. Nicole Decostre; preface by Marcel Voisin. Brussels, Belgium: Peter Lang.
- Korean translation (ROK): Lipman, Matthew (1999) '나의 친구 보임이' 교사용 지도서 도덕적 판단 [My Friend Boimi and Teacher's Guide: Moral Judgment]. Translated by 몽클레어 주립대학. 서울시: 한국철학교육 아카데미 출판부 [Seoul, Republic of Korea: Hankook Ch'ŭlh'ak Kyoyuk Akademi Ch'ulp'anbu].
- Spanish translation (Mexico): Lipman, Matthew (2016): Nous. Translated and adapted by Claudia Hernández de Ponce de León and Eugenio Echeverría. ISBN 9786078301805 Available for purchase here.
Keywords
elementary education, Matthew Lipman, philosophy for children, moral education, ethics, personhood
Disciplines
Education | Ethics and Political Philosophy | Philosophy
Recommended Citation
Lipman, Matthew (1996) Nous. Montclair, NJ: Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children.
