从“儿童的哲学”到“童年哲学”：马修斯的思想进路及其启示

From Philosophy by Children to Philosophy of Childhood: the Development of Gareth B. Matthews’ Thoughts and Its Enlightenments

从古典哲学到“儿童的哲学”再到童年哲学研究,马修斯的思想发展历程贯穿了他对“何谓哲学”“何谓儿童”“‘儿童的哲学’何为”“童年哲学何为”等问题的深入思考。基于对哲学之“困惑”本质和儿童与哲学关系的探析,马修斯进入到“儿童的哲学”中。而通过研究“儿童的哲学”,马修斯又意识到现有童年研究范式存在缺陷,童年的重要意义需要被重新认识。他发现唯有在理解儿童的基础上,真正的儿童哲学教育才有可能实现。对“儿童是谁”“儿童知道些什么”及“儿童应当得到些什么”等核心问题的探究,促使马修斯初步建立了他的童年哲学观。这种思想进路启发当今儿童哲学的发展不应局限于儿童哲学探究计划的发展,而应把更多精力投入到“儿童的哲学”与童年哲学的研究中,因为“儿童的哲学”与童年哲学才是儿童哲学发展的根基。

Gareth B. Matthews researches on ancient philosophy, philosophy of children and philosophy of childhood in his whole life, and his main questions are “what philosophy is”,“what children are”,“what philosophy of childhood is”, etc. Based on his ideas about the nature of philosophy and children, he begins to research on philosophy by children and tries to help children and adults growing up together. Then, he finds the problems of scientific researches on children and realizes the importance of understanding children in a new way. This is the reason why Matthews shifts his attention to philosophy of childhood, and builds his theory of philosophy of childhood on three questions,“what children are”,“what they know” and “what they deserve”. The research experience of Matthews reminds us to reset the direction of philosophy of children today. We should not only focus on the educational program of philosophy for children but do more research on the exploration of philosophy by children and the philosophy of childhood, for they are the foundation of the development of philosophy of children.