幼童的哲学何以可能——基于胡塞尔“本质直观”概念的探察及启示

What Makes Philosophy for Young Children Possible:An Exploration and Inspiration Based on Husserl’s Concept of “Essential Intuition”

年龄幼小的儿童也有自己的哲学思考,大量的实证研究已揭示了这一点。但抽象思维能力极有限的幼童,何以竟能发出自己独特而富有洞见的哲学之问与哲学之答?换言之,天真无知的幼童与人类的高深学问——哲学之间,究竟是如何发生了关联?这一课题远未得到探明。胡塞尔现象学的“本质直观”概念为考察这一问题提供了学理依据:幼童的“天问”与现象学“本质”具有内在联通性;幼童的明亮“心眼”为“直观”这一现象学路径提供了可能;幼童的“赤子之心”在“现象学还原”问题上具有得天独厚之优势。一种基于“直观”而非“思辨”的哲学进路,不仅使幼童的哲学成为可能,也将打开儿童哲学教育的另一广阔思路——聚焦与培养儿童的“哲学直观”能力。

Young children have their own philosophical thinking,as numerous empirical studies have shown.But how is it possible that young children,with their very limited capacity for abstract thinking,can give their own unique and insightful philosophical questions and answers?In other words,how do innocent young children relate to the profound philosophical learning of humanity?This question is far from clear.Husserl’s phenomenological concept of the“essential intuition”provides a theoretical basis for examining this question:the“natural questions”of the young child are intrinsically linked to the phenomenological“essence”;the young child’s bright“mind’s eye”offers the possibility of the phenomenological path of“intuition”;the young child’s“naive heart”is naturally advantageous and uniquely suited to the problem of“phenomenological reduction”.A philosophical approach based on“intuition”rather than“discernment”would not only make philosophy for young children possible,but would also open up at the same time a wide range of ideas for children’s philosophical education—focusing on and nurturing children’s“philosophical intuition”ability.