Philosophy, Power and Performance

Abstract

Introduction:  In this paper I will propose that a typical Philosophy for Children (P4C) class is a dynamic subcommunity that functions within, yet in opposition to, the larger community in which it is customarily located, which is the school. The P4C class itself is the site of many tensions and conflicts between dominant and subordinate power interests. The forces of negotiation, compromise and accommodation that occur among competing interests in the P4C class emerge through what performance studies scholar Dwight Conquergood calls the «action, agency and transformation» of performance. It is my contention that philosophical discussion arises from this intersection of power and performance.