Through Twitter, I found Grey Havens Philosophy and reached out for contact, so that this collaborative work published in this blog could grow with their perspective about P4C.
Kelly Cowling is the founder and Executive Director of Grey Havens Philosophy, a community philosophy nonprofit based in Longmont, Colorado. Grey Havens Philosophy's free programs include five ongoing philosophy discussion groups for ages 8-18. Our Philosophy in Public Spaces (PiPS) initiative is making intergenerational philosophy discussions part of the life of our community.
Can you recall the first time you heard about philosophy for children (p4c)?
I first heard about Philosophy for Children when I took my first class with Ron Reed at Texas Wesleyan University in the early 90s. Up to that point, my experience with education had not been good. I wasn’t particularly interested in becoming an educator back then, but I waspreoccupied with figuring out how education could be better than it had been for me.
How did you started working with p4c?
Through a non-traditional route. In 2010, I started a chapter-by-chapter book discussion group for adults in the back room of a locally-owned bookstore. Over time, it became quite popular and expanded into a network of book groups, a small symposium, and other events. People seemed to get a lot of meaning and fulfilment out of the gatherings. I suspected that it was because I had been facilitating discussions using what I knew of P4C.
In 2013, I and a few others partnered with our local library to establish a weekly philosophy group for 6th-12thgraders. Now, Grey Havens Philosophy is a non-profit organization that partners with our city, libraries throughout the region, other nonprofits, and businesses to bring philosophy to as many public spaces as possible.
I would call what we do P4C-inspired, rather than strictly P4C. We are always learning at the same time as we are teaching volunteers to do what we do. Our facilitators get together every month to practice their skills with each other and reflect on what goes on in discussions. We involve our young people in this process as well. We don’t know how this will impact how we do things in five, ten, twenty years.
Do you think p4c is necessary to children? Why?
I think regular access to a healthy community of inquiry is important if we want our children to thrive. We now have teens who are beginning their fifth year of weekly philosophy discussions, and we have graduates of our programs who always seem to find their way back to our discussions when they are home from school during breaks. Being members of a thinking community has become an important part of their identities. While we are still working to evaluate the long-term impact of our programs using both objective and subjective measures, I can tell you what we see happening.
Our participants bring all of their experiences into discussions, including what they learn at school, at home, from friends, from popular culture, and on the internet. They learn how alike yet different their experiences are from those of their peers. They become proficient in asking questions about their experiences then finding the questions that underlie those questions. They tell us that they do this on their own, with friends and family, and that (with varying degrees of success) they raise philosophical questions in class, but they recognize that they do some of their best thinking when they come together in a community that exists for that purpose.
Our young people have also become comfortable exploring the same big questions again and again and again. Two weeks after declaring that he would not discuss the nature of human consciousness yet again, a thirteen-year-old participant asked, “What is consciousness, anyway?” That participant is now sixteen and still happily diving into the question of consciousness.
There are several things happening here that we expect to serve our participants as they grow up:
An understanding that quality thinking requires the ability to synthesize information from multiple sources and the ability to evaluate sources
An understanding that thinking can be most productive and fulfilling when it is done in community
An understanding that asking questions can both accomplish what we need it to at any given time and that there are always questions beyond those questions
The experience of, as one eleven-year-old participant put it, “watching our minds grow.” Thinking about thinking helps young people to recognize that they are in control of how they learn. It helps them to develop a habit of self-reflection that improves emotional regulation and decision-making. It helps them to better evaluate the thinking of others and affords them the joy of marvelling at their own growth.
Our hope is that kids who grow up in thinking communities like ours will become workers who are good at collaborating to solve problems and who find satisfaction in their work because they are able to reflect on why they are doing it. We want them to grow up to be citizens who are able to recognize injustice, who are better at deciphering the statements and intentions of those with power, and who enjoy being engaged and engaging others in democracy. We want them to be individuals and family members who derive more satisfaction from their relationships because they think about the value and meaning of human interactions. There are lots of ways to cultivate these qualities, but philosophy is a comprehensive approach that can be practiced as a way of life. We advocate introducing children to the philosophical way of life as early as possible.
Nowadays children ( @ Portugal) have a lot of activities at school and after school. Why should we take philosophy to schools?
All of the benefits I have described above are excellent reasons to integrate philosophical thinking in school curricula, but we don’t think we skipped a step by establishing our programs outside of schools. Just as a young person might identify as an athlete, musician, or dancer, because they belong to an organization where they improve their skills through practice, our participants identify as deep thinkers because they are part of an organization where they practice thinking. They get to participate in thinking with people of all generations in many different settings. Our young people are as comfortable thinking with the adults from our local Senior Center as they are thinking with each other. They get to see that adults take their ideas seriously and regard them as co-inquirers.
What makes a question a philosophical question – from a p4c point of view?
We train our facilitators to listen closely to what participants are saying so that they can identify the potential for questions related to the branches of philosophy—questions about knowing, being, ethics, power, beauty, and ultimate reality. It’s a skill that they can only develop with guidance and practice.
We encourage our participants to look at external reference points to answer questions then, as the discussion progresses, we typically move to questions that are less and less answerable through external reference points. In one way or another, we often end up asking ourselves if we can really know anything.
If epistemological questions were the only valid philosophical questions, however, we wouldn’t get very far. Instead, we try to recognize that most questions contain underlying questions that can’t be answered with an external reference point. We enjoy exploring the bigger philosophical questions, but we also appreciate the process of uncovering them. Every question along the way matters because we still have to make practical and ethical decisions even when we question the fundamental nature of reality.
The most important thing is for the group to be able to retrace their steps in a discussion and identify the kinds of questions they were asking and the kinds of thinking they were doing. Participants and facilitators derive satisfaction and pleasure from seeing how the group reasons from the concrete to the abstract. They get good at doing it and at seeing when and how abstract ideas should inform actions. If the goal of a philosophy discussion is to engender some kind of change in thinking and even in action, then it is as important to ask participants about how they are thinking as it is to ask them what they think.
What’s the biggest challenge p4c faces, nowadays?
I don’t know much about the challenges P4C faces worldwide, but I know that we struggle against perceptions that what we do is only for people with a certain aptitude. That is why outreach is an extremely important part of what we do.
The best way to demystify philosophy is to get people doing philosophy together. It is also vital that we establish our groups as safe, inclusive spaces where young people can be themselves even if they don’t feel welcome in other places. This requires continuous attention and care.
Non-profit organizations like ours also live and die by the funds we can raise. Our biggest supporters are those who have directly benefited from our work, either as individuals or families. Our challenge as we grow will be to show those who have not directly benefited that “thinking about thinking” is a marketable skill that will measurably improve the lives of our participants and the life of society.
Can you give the teachers and the parents some kid of advice to help them deal with the children’s questions? Accept influence from children. Let go of the idea that you are supposed to have answers. Let go of any preconceived ideas you have about the kinds of questions children are capable of exploring. Let kids see your own curiosity. The beauty of philosophy discussions is that a facilitator is also a participant. Make sure they know that you are all in this together.
I also suggest encouraging children to identify all of the kinds of information they would need to truly answer a question to their satisfaction then heading off in the direction that interests everyone the most. Give the kids responsibility for making sure this process is a democratic one.
Thinking about a question such as, “Why do I need to study math?” might begin with easy answers such as “to manage your money,” or “to qualify for a career in a STEM field,” but it can lead to lots of fascinating questions about things like economic models, the value and meaning of technology, why society values some jobs more than others, what math and poetry might have in common in describing the universe, knowledge for the sake of knowledge, the relationship between models and reality, and whether or not numbers are real. Often the question you start with will lead back to other questions that were raised in the beginning.
Help the group pay attention to how the discussion progresses, and retrace your steps when necessary. Don’t worry if the discussion doesn’t address every potential question that comes up. If you have these discussions regularly, you will find that questions will come up again and again, giving the group opportunities to think about them in new ways.
Did the children ever surprised you with a question? Can you share that question with us?
We went into this believing that children are deep thinkers so, while I can say that their questions have delighted me, I can’t say that they have surprised me. In our early days, I did experience more anxiety than I do now about participants who speak up less frequently or rarely at all. Not only have we noticed that most participants speak up more as time goes on, we have found that their fiction, poetry, drawings, and notes indicate that they had been thinking with us all along. We check in with participants and their family members at individual conferences so we often get to see how families become their own communities of inquiry. We are very privileged to remain connected to these families over the years. I suppose we never stop being surprised by how our kids grow into their roles as philosophers. You would think we would have learned by now!
I met Sabine Yang on facebook. Social media has been such a great tool to find and to talk about P4C with investigators, teachers, facilitators all over the world. Yang Yanlu (Sabine Yang) is from China; she's a Ph.D candidate from the department of Philosophy at ZheJiang University, major in German Philosophy. From 2013 till now, Sabine Yang is doing P4C at Kindergarten, Primary School, Bookstores, Libraries and other public places.
Can you recall the first time you heard about philosophy for children (p4c)?
I was a little bit astonished and at the same time very curious about it. At that time I was doing my Master of Philosophy and I encountered a Chinese book about p4c, then I got to know there was a thing called p4c and started to practice it.
How did you started working with p4c?
It was not easy to carry out this programm, since I was only a student and it was hard for me to find the kids. But later with the help of the community near my home, I organized a non-profit activity of p4c in my community. Even though there were few kids,maybe 3 or 4 at that time, we started to read the picturebook of Arnold Lobel, that was Frog and Toad, very dramatical story. The theme we discussed was Bravery. Kids were very fascinated with the story and after reading the story they began to share their experience of bravery. Then we went to some deeper question, like should the bravery be afraid of nothing, what is bravery on the earth? That was my first p4c class, it was very interesting experience.
Do you think p4c is necessary to children? Why?
Definitely. We are facing the Artificial Intelligence Age, many people’s job will be later replaced by the machines. I was always wondering what could not be replace by AI. Yet the power of Wonder and the capacity to raise question belongs to human mind. P4C encourage children to raise their own questions and let them wonder about all the things they feel interested. As Aristotle once said: Man is desired to know. Wonder should be the core capacity that we human should always treasure.
Nowadays children (@ Portugal) have a lot of activities at school and after school. Why should we take philosophy to schools?
Philosophy at schools are probably good to the reform of curriculum. In traditional classes, children have not so much freedom to raise their own questions and mostly they have to answer the question which they may be not so interested in. If a class of Math can combine some p4c elements, then the children could be better motivated to find the question and figure out by cooperation. Besides inter-curriculum, the sole p4c class is also benefit to the children, since they are quite relaxing in such kind of atmosphere, staying in circle and enjoying the place of intellectural and emotional safety.
What makes a question a philosophical question – from a p4c point of view?
A philosophical question is a big question which could not be answered in the framework of science or any empirical study. Such question have no final answer and only a temporary reply. A philosophical question is open to all the people,no matter how old they are. Everyone has the right to think about it and find the meaning of their own.
What’s the biggest challenge p4c faces, nowadays?
I recognized the biggest question lying in the training of teachers. We’ve seen lot of teachers willing to change their pedagogical methods when the way of teacing are implanted by p4c. But it’s still hard to make this change since we face the stress of established teaching objectivities and other rules in school. P4C pursuits the uncertainty of answer, which will be a conflict to a world, which is based on right answer in the exam-oriented education.
Can you give the teachers and the parents some kind of advice to help them deal with the children’s questions?
When you hear about children’s question,you don’t have to reply at once. You should first examine the question: Is it a question that we could find the answer from google or any other books? Then just help them to find them. If you realised that it was a big question like philosophical question, you can encourage the children to anwer first and then you discuss with them. Children’s questions are very diversed,sometimes adults would feel at a loss or embarrassed, sometimes even annoyed, but that’s quite normal. We can’t answer all the questions and not all the questions has the ultimate answer.
Did the children ever surprised you with a question? Can you share that question with us?
Yes, they surprise me all the time. For example, last Friday when we talked about “Share”, a young boy asked the whole class: Shall we share the death? Then one of the student answered: I’d like to share, but I don’t wanna die! I also don’t wanna you die! Then replied the young boy: But we have to die. That question did make stress to us, and the students I observed were not happy anymore. Maybe it’s the time to deal with the thinking of death next class.
O Carlos foi um dos meus companheiros de viagem no 1º ano do mestrado de Filosofia para Crianças e Jovens, na Universidade dos Açores (na altura Pós-Graduação, ainda).
É licenciado em Filosofia, Ramo Educacional, Mestre em Psicologia (Contextos Educativos), e pós-graduado em Filosofia para Crianças, pela Universidade dos Açores.
Possui vasta experiência no ensino, quer profissional, quer regular, desde a leccionação e coordenação, passando, igualmente, pela Direcção Técnico-Pedagógica, enquanto Director Pedagógico, em 2005-2006, na Escola Profissional Monsenhor João Maurício de Amaral Ferreira. Tem também experiência acumulada em diversos Programas de Ensino, tendo como público-alvo adolescentes e adultos, tais como Profij (II e IV) e Reativar, incluindo leccionação no Estabelecimento Prisional de Ponta Delgada, e coordenação do Programa Erasmus +.
O Carlos vive rodeado de azul e verde, de ilha em ilha, no magnífico arquipélago dos Açores. Foi precisamente neste contexto, da Pós-Graduação, que o Carlos teve a sua primeira experiência enquanto facilitador.
Lembras-te da primeira vez que ouviste falar de filosofia para crianças?
Não exactamente. Provavelmente, com consciência, há volta de 10 anos…. 2007, 2008.
Como é que começaste a trabalhar nesta àrea?
A primeira sessão conduzida por mim foi no âmbito da Pós-Graduação que fiz, na Universidade dos Açores, em “Filosofia para Crianças”.
Consideras que a fpc é necessária para as crianças? Porquê?
Sim, muito importante. Provavelmente a minha resposta não traz nada de novo perante o que as autoridades na matéria dizem, mas defendo que é importante porque é necessário haver um espaço no qual a criança aprenda a refletir. As tecnologias trouxeram fontes infinitas de informação, em quantidades que eram inimagináveis nos meus tempos de criança. No entanto, essa informação não é tratada, mas sim tratada de uma forma descartável: “play”, “vejo”, “termino”, carrego imediatamente “num próximo play”. Aliás, esta é uma sequência comportamental que é já um padrão da educação das nossas crianças, sem qualquer momento de análise.
Hoje em dia as crianças, em Portugal, têm muitas actividades na escolar e depois da escola. Por que havemos de levar a filosofia para as escolas?
Devemos levar a Filosofia para as escolas pela razão que acima apresentei. Mas é uma questão que, em termos práticos, não é fácil de materializar. De facto, as crianças têm muitas atividades, na escola, e depois da escola. Parece que é um mal socialmente reconhecido, assente, não havendo tempo para o chamado “tempo para ser criança”. Por outro, quando ouvimos os professores de cada área correspondente a essas atividades, parece que faz todo o sentido incluir essas atividades…… O mesmo se passará com a Filosofia.
O que faz com que uma pergunta seja uma questão filosófica – do ponto de vista da fpc?
Em relação à Filosofia para Crianças, não creio que haja, ou não creio que deva haver, diferença ou cedência de requisitos para que uma questão seja Filosófica. Tal como na “Filosofia Adulta”, as questões filosóficas na “FPC” também deverão ser “existenciais e valorativas”; “não podem ter solução científica ou técnica”; “não podem ser questões de facto” e “devem ultrapassar o domínio da legalidade”.
Quais são os maiores desasfios que a Fpc enfrenta, nos nossos dias?
Enfrenta o preconceito generalizado que as pessoas e o sistema de educação têm em relação à Filosofia: a Filosofia não serve para nada.
Podes dar alguns conselhos aos professores e aos pais para os ajudar a lidar com as perguntas das crianças?
1º) Nunca ignorar as questões das crianças;
2º) Dar valor a cada questão formulada.
Alguma vez foste surpreendido com uma pergunta de uma criança? Podes partilhar connosco que pergunta foi essa?
Provavelmente sim, mas, depois de pensar muito nessa questão, não há nenhuma em particular que me ocorra.
a SPF - Sociedade Portuguesa de Filosofia organiza o 3º Congresso Internacional de Filosofia, nos dias 6 e 7 de Setembro. o evento é acolhido na UBI (Universidade da Beira Interior), na Covilhã.
irei marcar presença na companhia do Jose Barrientos-Rastrojo, da Magda Costa Carvalho e da Dina Mendonça, para partilharmos experiências e perspectivas sobre a filosofia para crianças.
Conheci o Pepe Barrientos-Rastrojo em 2007, num congresso da APAEF (Associação Portuguesa de Aconselhamento Filosófico, onde também conheci a Celeste Machado, com quem comecei a trabalhar, uns anos depois, na área da filosofia para crianças.
O Pepe foi o orientador da minha tese de mestrado, na área dos recursos humanos e filosofia aplicada. Trabalha na Universidade de Sevilha, onde é professor e investigador. A sua tese de doutoramento versava sobre Maria Zambrano.
Os nossos encontros têm sempre como motivação a partilha na área da filosofia aplicada, seja na consultoria filosófica ou na filosofia para crianças. Julgo que a última vez que estivemos juntos foi em Angra do Heroísmo, em Junho de 2014, durante o Encontro Internacional Filosofia para Crianças e Adolescentes: Aprender a Pensar em Comunidade, promovido pela Universidade dos Açores.
Contactei o Pepe via twitter e perguntei se estaria disponível para responder a algumas questões. O "SIM" foi imediato. Por saber que o Pepe lê bem em português, escrevo esta introdução na minha língua natal.
¿Te acuerdas cuando fue la primera vez que oíste hablar de filosofía para niños?
Empecé en Filosofía Aplicada individual hace un par de décadas. En aquela época, escuché referencias a Matthew Lipman y a su programa.
Mi dedicación a las consultas individuales y mi interés en autores de la orientación filosófica individual me separó, inicialmente, del interés por este campo hermano. Sin embargo, siempre pensé que ambas bebían de un mismo espíritu analítico-discursivo. Esto se ponía de manifiesto en las metodologías de trabajos: el análisis de argumentos, la creación de conceptos, el interés por las falacias, la erradicación de las opiniones, etc… Por ello, siempre regresaba a la lectura de algunos de sus textos de forma recurrente.
¿Como has empezado a trabajar en este area?
Mi dedicación definitiva a este área de conocimiento surge cuando mi Departamento de la Facultad de Filosofía me encarga la impartición de la asignatura en 2010. Un profesor del Departamento, José Agüera, se había jubilado y había trabajado mucho en la materia. De hecho, desarrolló un grupo de investigación oficial e implantó la asignatura en la Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación. Lamentablemente, nunca nos conocimos personalmente. El hecho de que nadie se sintiese en disposición de impartir la materia y la circunstancia de que yo era el último en elegir asignatura derivaron en que se me asignase. Hoy, no estoy dispuesto a abandonarla puesto que no existe ningún profesor que posea conocimientos téoricos y prácticos en la misma. De hecho, sólo una becaria se ha interesado en el tema. El programa básico de la materia puede consultarse en este link http://www.us.es/estudios/grados/plan_194/asignatura_1940025/proyecto_960055
El primer año la asignatura contó con cuatro alumnas, pero hemos llegado a contar con más de cincuenta. He procurado no superar una máxima de treinta alumnos para poder realizar talleres todas las semanas.
La asignatura consta con una parte teórica, una parte práctica y una aplicada. La teórica enseña los contenidos básicos y realiza prácticas de pensamiento crítico y lógica informal; la práctica realiza quince talleres reales durante el semestre y la aplicada exige que los alumnos realicen grupalmente una sesión con niños reales y lo graben en video.
Asimismo, generé un proyecto con estudiantes hace un lustro en una escuela de Sevilla. La actividad quedó reflejada en un capítulo del libro Filosofía para Niños y capacitación democrática freiriana, elaborado por Sara Mariscal Vega.
¿Consideras que la FpN es necesaria para los niños? Por qué?
Considero que es necesario el desarrollo de las habilidades de pensamiento que incentiva la Filosofía para/con niños por razones aducidas por sus teóricos: mejora de las capacidades democráticas, incremento de capacidades cognitivas y creativas, promoción de las habilidades reflexivas, lucha contra la ideología social que reduce la autonomía de los ciudadanos, quienes ni siquiera son conscientes del engaño,…
Sin embargo, pienso que el modelo de racionalidad de la disciplina es restringido. Al basarse en la tradición discursiva y analítica, la metodología de trabajo olvida otros tipos de pensamiento. En este sentido, autores como Kohan o Sátiro son modelos para la extensión de los modos de trabajo en las sesiones.
Mi propuesta pretende avanzar en este sendero y incentivar la dimensión “filosófica” de la disciplina de un sentido profundo y amplio. Esto supone el avance en el trabajo de metodologías fenomenológicas, hermenéuticas, pragmatistas, etc… Este avance supone una aplicación profunda de las metodologías de Husserl, Gadamer, Romano, Rorty, Vattimo (entre otras) de una forma seria y rigurosa. A tal fin, se precisa de un conocimiento profundo de cada uno de estos autores, de sus conceptos fundamentales, el modo en que entienden la filosofía y sus objetivos. Asimismo, se exige una cabal comprensión de cómo aplicar cada fase y conceptos de esos autores en las sesiones. Por último, se precisa creatividad y agudeza para realizar dinámicas que respeten la dimensión filosófica de esas metodologías y se mantenga el interés de los niños. Un ejemplo de ellos será la ponencia que impartiré en el próximo congreso de la Sociedad Portuguesa de Filosofía en la Universidade de Beira Interior en Covilha en septiembre de este año.
Este planteamiento usa un conjunto de metodologías que exceden la racionalidad del proyecto lipmaniano, que, considero, ha sido y es esencial hoy día, como he señalado. Un primer intento de jugar con otras racionalidades procede del taller de creación de cuento, inspirado por Jorge Sánchez-Manjavacas, y que he aplicado en varias partes del mundo. Su teoría aparecerá en las actas del último congreso de la NAACi realizado en Puebla (México) por María Teresa de la Garza y María Outón. Otro es la aplicación de las nociones maestras del pensamiento de Richard Rorty en talleres de Filosofía Aplicada para Niños y Adolescentes.
¿Hoy en día los niños en Portugal tienen muchísimas actividades en la escuela y fuera de ella. ¿Por qué debemos tener filosofía en las escuelas?
Creo que es importante también tener otras materias vinculadas con las humanidades. Todas ayudan al sujeto a desarrollar su propia identidad. La filosofía ayuda al pensamiento crítico y a la optimización de otras capacidades como el gobierno de las emociones (estoicos), la sutileza (Dusn Scoto) y la visión profunda de la realidad (María Zambrano), la comprensión del otro (Buber), de las culturas ajenas (Levinas) y de las bases de lo real (Gadamer), la recuperación de la experiencia en tanto en cuanto se está dando o el mundo de la vida (Husserl), el fomento de la solidaridad y la lucha contra la crueldad (Rorty), la comprensión de la realidad no sólo intelectivamente sino desde percepciones corporales (Merleau Ponty), el enriquecimiento de las de virtudes noéticas y la lucha contra los vicios epistemológicos (Aristóteles, Descartes) y morales o éticos (Kant) o la generación y crítica de nuevos valores como la ética ambiental y animal (Peter Singer), entre otros. El desafío está en cómo implementar esto no sólo intelectivamente sino mediante una acción que produzca cambios profundos (experienciales) en el sujeto. Precisamente, los últimos años he trabajado sobre esa Filosofía Aplicada Experiencial en adultos y niños (puede verse algo en https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/5756036.pdf).
¿Qué hace que una pregunta sea una pregunta filosófica - desde el punto de vista de la FpN?
¡Buena pregunta!
Considero que no sólo hay que crear preguntas filosóficas. A pesar de que el trabajo con preguntas es importante en las sesiones hay que contemplar, sobre todo, cómo se implementan filosóficamente el resto de las condiciones: por ejemplo, el tiempo y el espacio, el tipo de palabras que se usan, la relación que se crea en los talleres, los modos en que se percibe la realidad, el tipo de racionalidad sobre el que se basan el diálogo, el tipo de diálogo generado. Cada uno de estos aspectos ha de dotarse de esa notación filosófica, que como digo, no sólo atañe a las preguntas. De hecho, habría que preguntarse (también) qué hace una respuesta filosófica para validar el trabajo en las sesiones.
La respuesta a la condición filosófica de preguntas, tiempos, espacios, palabras, relaciones, racionalidades o modos de diálogos, por citar sólo algunos elementos, exigiría un capítulo o libro completo. Sin embargo, detengámonos en un ejemplo para clarificarlo: Gadamer ha distinguido entre palabras instrumentales y palabras dicientes. Las primeras sirven para transmitir contenidos y corresponden a la de un manual de matemáticas que explica un problema; las segundas son transformadoras de la realidad y surgen en la poesía, pero también en el derecho cuando una ley crea una nueva realidad social. El conocimiento de esta distinción es propio del filósofo que trabaja y debería integrar el trabajo con ambos en el caso de una sesión. La distinción entre una palabra balbuciente (Zambrano), ideologizada por la sociedad (Mannheim), desfundamentadora (Deleuze) o incentivadora de la tolerancia (Rorty) deberían ser elementos conocidos por el filósofo e integrados en dinámicas particulares que permitieran al niño a agudizar su percepción.
Regresando a la pregunta filosófica, las respuestas que he leído en ocasiones sobre esto no me satisfacen (son abiertas, incentivan el pensamiento crítico) puesto que son propias de dinámicas pedagógicas y psicológicas. Quizás, me satisfaga la idea de que una pregunta filosófica es aquella que con potencia para incentivar su propia destrucción y la de sus presupuestos…
¿Cuáles son los mayores desafíos que se enfrenta hoy en día la FpN?
Como indicaba arriba, creo que el principal desafío es incentivar su dimensión filosófica mediante el desarrollo de metodologías y evitar caer en un esquema analítico en que nació. Esta afirmación no se opone a esa estructura sino que la considera limitada, reducida y reductora (cuando señala cómo únicamente válida a esta racionalidad). Nótese que habría que diferenciar entre una Lógica para Niños y una Filosofía (Aplicada) con Niños. La segunda integra la primera; la primera es sólo una modalidad de la segunda.
¿Puedes dar algunos consejos a maestros y padres para ayudarles a lidiar con las preguntas de los niños?
Estar abierto al asombro, a sus lógicas, no imponerles respuestas (error de quien empieza), asumir que nosotros mismos dependemos de ideologías de las que no somos conscientes y dejar que ellos se conviertan, a veces, en adultos de los que hemos de aprender conocimientos tan olvidados en nuestra infancia como necesarios en nuestra madurez.
¿Alguna vez has sido sorprendido con una pregunta de un niño? ¿Puedes compartir con nosotros la pregunta?
No recuerdo muchas: soy de recuerdo limitado. En fin, ¡nadie es perfecto!
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Gracias, Pepe! Encontramo-nos na próxima semana, na bonita cidade da Covilhã!
desde 2016 que temos vindo a contactar e a convidar investigadores e facilitadores, de várias partes do mundo, para partilhar algumas perspectivas acerca da filosofia para / com crianças.
since 2016 we have been contacting and inviting researchers and facilitators from all over the world to share some insights about philosophy for children.
desde 2016 que hemos venido ponerse en contacto y invitar a investigadores y facilitadores de varias partes del mundo a compartir algunas perspectivas acerca de la filosofía para / con los niños.
foi um ano lectivo cheio de filosofices: oficinas regulares em dois jardins de infância, com três grupos (entre os 3 e os 5 anos) e com várias turmas do 1º ciclo. acresce a colaboração com a rádio miúdos e a oficina do platão, em telheiras.
o balanço é positivo, pois o trabalho de continuidade, o tempo, as relações que o facilitador cria com o grupo e aquelas que o grupo cria entre si.
houve muitas histórias curiosas que partilhei por aqui, no twitter ou no facebook. outras guardo só para mim, pois não há tempo para colocar tudo por escrito e há momentos que são só nossos, que ficam entre quem os viveu.
agora há uma tese para acabar e por isso os próximos tempos serão mais de investigação do que de prática.
estes foram os últimos reforços "contratados" para a equipa da biblioteca cá de casa. livros que já andava "a namorar" há algum tempo, confesso. o Museu do Pensamento e o Cá Dentro são livros que nos permitem praticar o pensar sobre o pensamento. já a Barafunda é um daqueles livros que certamente me vai permitir criar jogos para levar para as oficinas com a criançada.
e por aí? quais vão ser as vossas leituras de verão?
