‘Mum, what’s the meaning of life?’ How to talk about philosophy with little kids

In case your younger little one asks “what is the that means of life?” You may chortle it off (how cute!) or freeze in panic (the place do I even start?).

It is tempting to dismiss these large questions as too superior for teenagers. Plato and Aristotle each believed kids weren’t prepared for philosophy. In truth, they did not assume folks had been prepared to check philosophy till they turned 30.

However kids know in any other case. They ask large questions like “Why are we right here?” and “What does it imply to be truthful?” and “Why will we preserve feeding the cat, despite the fact that she by no means says thanks?”

American researcher and writer Jana Mohr Lone has taught philosophy to younger kids for greater than 20 years. As one second-grade little one instructed her:

“[…] kids do not know as many issues in regards to the world and so our minds are extra free to think about.”

This openness makes kids pure philosophers. By encouraging these conversations, you’ll be able to assist them develop into curious, considerate and reflective people.

How can mother and father do that?

3 steps for philosophical dialogue

One of many difficulties of partaking in philosophy is that individuals could also be unfamiliar with the way it works.

However you’ll be able to have a philosophical dialogue by following three steps:

reflection
generalization
abstraction.

When your little one asks a deep query like “What is the that means of life?” You needn’t have the reply, you simply want to begin a dialog.

First, immediate your little one to replicate on the query. You might ask: “What do you assume?”

This enables your little one to discover their very own experiences. They could say, “I dwell for soccer and Bluey!”

Second, transfer to generalization. You possibly can ask, “Do you assume that is the that means of life for everybody?” This opens up a philosophical dialogue past the self. Your little one may say, “Nicely, Stella lives for gymnastics and cheese.”

Lastly, immediate in the direction of abstraction, by asking “What makes life significant for all folks?”

Soccer, Bluey and handstands will not enchantment to everybody, however one thing else may. Now we’re in search of examples (or counter-examples) as a technique of inquiry.

This prompts your little one to search for what’s frequent to all folks in dwelling a significant life. They could reply with one thing like:

“Lots of people love chocolate, however not Aunty Grace. Most individuals love canines, however perhaps not individuals who actually love cats. Everybody loves time with their family and friends.”

All of a sudden, you are having a wealthy philosophical dialogue. You possibly can proceed additional inquiry into what actually is love, or what makes sure relationships extra essential than others.

What we’re doing right here is having a dialogue by means of ideas, academically referred to as conceptual evaluation.

Why must you do that?

Academic analysis has discovered philosophical dialogue improves kids’s logical reasoning, studying and math comprehension, vanity and turn-taking.

Research have discovered it advantages kids’s tutorial and social growth in early childhood, major faculty and highschool.

However past these expertise, philosophy empowers kids to interact meaningfully with the world round them.

Happiness, id, equity, loss of life, actuality, time, nature, good, data and objective are all issues kids encounter day by day. Philosophy along with your little one can merely be the exploration of what these ideas imply and the way they impression our lives.

Understanding ideas and with the ability to apply that understanding to life is the inspiration of philosophy.

Inquiries to ask your little one

To have interaction your little one in philosophy, begin a dialog with them in regards to the ideas they’re encountering.

In the event that they’re drawing, you may ask what’s artwork? What’s creativeness?
If they do not need to share their favourite toy: what’s equity? What’s kindness?
In the event that they’re speaking to the canine: what’s language? What is knowing?
In the event that they’re emotional: what’s happiness? What’s disappointment?
In the event that they need to know why they need to go to high school: what’s data?
In the event that they’re telling you about their dream: what’s actual?

Subsequent time your little one asks an enormous query, embrace the second. By exploring ideas like equity, love and happiness, you are serving to them interpret the world and change into extra considerate folks.

By asking them to replicate, discover completely different views and take into account the larger image, you may embark on a philosophical journey that may develop into one thing significant for you each.

This text is republished from The Dialog below a Artistic Commons license. Learn the unique article.