At present, I do not counsel children individually.
Every parent knows that children are natural philosophers and quick to question
everything from cosmology to ontology to the most rarefied metaphysical issue. They are quick to speculate and to test
explanations. Parents often recognize that
the philosophical impulses of their children
should be fostered and encouraged. The
skills the child uses to uncover the
inconsistencies in her parents’
hermeneutical stances and logic, or to
venture explanations for relationships and
connections, if developed would serve her
well in any profession, art, or science.
Critical thinking and speculative system
building are the beginnings of significant
advancement in every human endeavor.
Philosophy is one of the most primary fields
of education and certainly Reason is one of
the primary "R"s and should be explicitly taught
as an integral part of elementary and
secondary education.
Fostering and encouraging philosophy in children is a challenge that is as
old as humanity and various cultures have responded in a variety of ways ranging from all out suppression to challenging development.
Our own culture would greatly benefit from developing its philosophical traditions. Hoping to promote philosophical development
in our children (including my own), I am currently working on designing curricula for private children’s courses. If
you are a parent or guardian and interested in enrolling your child in such a course (or just learning more about it), please
contact me and let me know of your interest and the age of your child. I will put you on my mailing list for course registration.
For an excellent discussion of this topic
please click here.
