(2021) Philosophy for Children and Children’s Philosophical Thinking
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
2021
Journal / Book Title
A History of Western Philosophy of Education in the Contemporary Landscape
Abstract
This chapter traces the emergence, development, and contemporary diversification of the philosophy for children movement, situating it within the broader history of Western philosophy of education. Beginning with early recognition of children’s philosophical capacities—from Socratic dialogue to twentieth-century challenges to deficit conceptions of childhood—the chapter examines the foundational contributions of Matthew Lipman, Gareth B. Matthews, and Ann Margaret Sharp. It explores the movement’s major theoretical commitments and pedagogical innovations, particularly the community of philosophical inquiry, and reviews its documented accomplishments in critical thinking, ethics education, and democratic practice. The chapter also addresses enduring critiques and practical challenges, including debates over developmental psychology, political neutrality, cultural authority, and the role of reason in education. To clarify deep theoretical divergences within the field, the chapter employs Shaun Gallagher’s heuristic of four hermeneutical approaches—conservative, critical, radical, and moderate—demonstrating how competing interpretations of philosophy, childhood, and education shape distinct educational agendas and classroom practices. The chapter concludes that philosophy for children has become a significant site for enacting and examining contested philosophies of education, reflecting broader tensions concerning intellectual agency, moral formation, and the purposes of schooling in contemporary global contexts.
Book Publisher
Bloomsbury Academic
Journal ISSN / Book ISBN
9781350074576
Book Editor(s)
Anna Pagès
MSU Digital Commons Citation
Gregory, Maughn, "(2021) Philosophy for Children and Children’s Philosophical Thinking" (2021). Collected Papers of Maughn Rollins Gregory. 15.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/iapc_mgregory/15
Published Citation
Gregory, M. (2021) Philosophy for Children and Children’s Philosophical Thinking. In Anna Pagès (Ed.) A History of Western Philosophy of Education in the Contemporary Landscape, pp. 153-77. Volume 5 of A History of Western Philosophy of Education, Megan J. Laverty & David T. Hansen, general editors. New York, NY: Bloomsbury Press. Arabic translation (2021): الفلسفة للأطفال والتفكير الفلسفي عند الأطفال [Philosophy for Children and Children’s Philosophical Thinking] trans. سجى الحسيني [Saja Al Husseini]. Baseera Institution for Educational and Pedagogical Consultancy website, URL = https://baseera.com.sa/philosophy-for-children-and-childrens-philosophical-thinking/.