Philosophically Counseling Children

Abstract

Introduction:  When I do philosophy with children in elementary school discussions are in the form of a «community of inquiry» and are based primarily on topics discovered in the material developed by Matthew Lipman for his Philosophy for Children program. Philosophical discussions with children, although typically carried out within a much more limited vocabulary, can be every bit as insightful, and offer insights equally as profound as those within the capabilities of a trained philosopher. Simple language should not be confused with simplistic thought.