The Nature of Philosophy for Children and Its Role in Teaching and Learning

The claim of philosophy connection with academic education is based upon the assumption that philosophy can change students＇ critical status （such as surprising, demanding standard...） and train them with reasoning, conception forming, changing, and investigating skills. Philosophy in school, on the one hand, is a progressive discussion about our future educational system so that it can provide safe training about how philosophy can be performed and mixed in school classes and auditoriums. Therefore, philosophy for children explains that how each teacher in each subject is able to accept a model of philosophical search and adapt it to the class situation. Philosophy is much better understood if considered as a public activity and a conversation according to what Socrates did, than just considered as an education subject which should be inserted in child＇s memory. On the other hand, philosophical opening, questioning, and surprising toward the word--the characteristics which are undeniable, admirable, and comprehensive----can be remained superficial and even bare. Unless, it founts from Socrates＇ dialectic insight： ＂I know that I don＇t know.＂ Philosophy for children is a program which involves them in every class discussion in the field of philosophical subjects. The aim of this program is the improvement of children though via introducing them numerous ＂Big Question＂ and enables them in considering these questions. Using this program, teachers encourage children to think more deeply on ideas about their schoolwork. This strategy mainly takes place in project community of classes. Children will deeply concentrate on their thoughts and skill and then improve them while considering and reinforcing their own and others＇ ideas in response to philosophical puzzles. This article aims to reply the following questions： What is philosophy for children？ What aims does it follow？ What is its content？ What skills does it consider？ How does it compose with the current educational programming？ What strategies does this curriculum follow？

Trilogy of Intellect as a New Method of Children Intellectual Development

The new method of intellectual development among children being investigated represents a trilogy of mind, whose main thinking operation is the logical operation of comparison. The method was created due to Aristotle＇s understanding of philosophy as ＂the science about the first reasons and origins＂ of cognition--types of opposition which should be the beginning of the surrounding world＇s cognition at school. As they were discovered and set in a natural line of comparative notions, the main Plato＇s plan was fulfilled to reduce all particular laws to the general and to withdraw all particular laws from the general one （Plato 1993）. As a result, we are talking about the building of stepwise transmission from one general notion to another more general notion that identifies the diversity of natural and social differences. As a result, it turned out to be possible to divide the whole thinking process into three related logical parts, each of which is determined by the advantageous usage of three types of cognitive means： （1） Reasonable thinking is the thinking with the help of classification notions on the basis of relations of ＂abstract identity＂ and ＂abstract difference＂, which determine the law of noncontradiction： either A, or not A; （2） Mental concrete-general metaphysical thinking is the thinking with the help of classification, quantitative, and comparative notions on the basis of the relation of ＂corresponding＂ and variety of mathematical and physical abstractions of different complexity being studied at school; and （3） Mental concrete-general dialectical thinking is the thinking with the help of classification and comparative notions on the basis of relation of ＂opposition＂ which allows to cognize natural and social processes. In addition to the generally accepted study of reasonable and mental thinking among schoolchildren with the help of concrete sciences, the new philosophical method is an effective means of advanced development of mental thinking among children, which makes for the holistic perception of the surrounding world by schoolchildren.

From Critical Thinking to Artful Communication： Inspirations from Dewey＇s Theory of Communication

The idea of Philosophy for Children （P4C） initiated by Matthew Lipman aims to foster critical and creative thinking in children through the pedagogy of a community of inquiry. In his formulation of P4C, Lipman emphasizes the role of logical reasoning in thinking and assumes a mutually reinforcing relationship between critical and creative thinking. In this paper, I present an example of a real classroom dialogue which illustrates the inherent tension between logical and creative thinking, as well as the need to go beyond critical thinking. I then proceed to argue for the importance of communication in creating and sustaining a genuine community of inquiry. In conclusion, I suggest that John Dewey＇s view of communication as essentially transformative, aesthetic, educative, and moral can be made the basis for envisioning an alternative focus of P4C--namely, the ideal of artful communication, which has far-reaching implications for realizing the democratic idea of ＂community＂ in a community of inquiry.