LITERARY TEMPTATIONS OF PHILOSOPHY

The article examines the features of literature that are attractive for philosophy. Literary temptations are diverse: from special literary means of expression to a literary style of thinking, from posing common human problems to special ways of representing the world, from studying literary phenomena to following them. The differences between philosophy and literature took shape in antiquity. Philosophy posed a question and gave a reasoned answer, while literature described an interesting adventure. Further evolution has accumulated many differences in means, and in goals, and in perception. But from time to time philosophy and literature interacted. Philosophy sometimes analyzed literature like Heidegger, occasionally used a literary style like Nietzsche. But literature has repeatedly posed philosophical problems like Dostoevsky. Of particular attractiveness are: 1. the comprehensibility and accessibility of the literary language, 2. the emotional impact of literature as the creation of a special experience of the read, 3. a narrative way of representing the world. The desire for clarity has led to the emergence of encyclopedias, various propaedeutics, simplified courses in philosophy and other new forms of organization and presentation of knowledge. The example of children’s literature led to the emergence of philosophy for children. A personal emotional attitude to the text can be a sufficient basis for the scientific work of a humanist. A philosopher always needs rational foundations, but the subject of research could also be asked by literary emotions. Narrative has proved to be an impressive temptation for philosophy. For a long time, it was studied only within the framework of literary theory. From there he came to philosophy. Under the influence of philosophy, the narrative turned into a paradigm for the methodology of humanitarian knowledge. Literary temptations of philosophy gave positive results: discussions were stimulated, interesting concepts were put forward, if philosophy remained philosophy.

Pourrait-on convaincre Platon du bien-fondé de la philosophie pour enfants?

Could Plato be Convinced by the Merits of Philosophy for Children? The exclusion of childhood from the realm of philosophy traditionally dates back to the work of Plato. In his dialogues Gorgias and Republic, the founder of the Western philosophical tradition argues against a childish practice of philosophy: the search for truth is too serious and complex an undertaking for young people. This has led to a persistent presupposition that still hinders the implementation of the practice of philosophy with children. Our objective with this paper is to show that there is in fact a continuity between P4C and philosophy according to Plato. We present another reading of these Platonic reasons to show that they leave an opening for a playful and democratic approach to philosophy. Keywords: Plato, P4C, childhood, philosophy, play, care, Republic, Gorgias.

Le développement de la pensée critique des élèves : dans quelle mesure la pratique du dialogue philosophique se suffit-elle à elle-même ?

The Development of Critical Thinking in Students: to What Extent the Practice of Philosophical Dialogue is Sufficient to Itself? Among the reasons that are advanced by the advocates of philosophy for children and teenagers to include it in the school curriculum, the development of critical thinking occupies a prominent place. However, it is rarely discussed if the critical thinking skills that are developed in the philosophy classes are used in other contexts. It is this question this text wants to tackle. Firstly, we will clarify what we mean by critical thinking by presenting the main theories of this concept. We will then examine some of the results obtained in research, particularly the one of Daniel, aiming at study its development by the practice of philosophical dialogue. Finally, we will raise some issues around how a “general” form of critical thinking can be developed in this context by presenting some of the data we have collected in our research. We conclude by underlying few elements that should be taken into consideration to develop critical thinking in youth through philosophical dialogue. Keywords: Critical thinking, philosophical dialogue, qualitative methodology, philosophy for children, philosophy for teenagers

Existential Therapy for Children: Impact of a Philosophy for Children Intervention on Positive and Negative Indicators of Mental Health in Elementary School Children

Background: Philosophy for children (P4C) was initially developed in the 1970s and served as an educational program to promote critical thinking, caring, creative reasoning and inquiry in the educational environment. Quasi-experimental research on P4C, a school-based approach that aims to develop children’s capacity to think by and for themselves, has suggested it could be an interesting intervention to foster greater basic psychological need satisfaction in children in school settings. Objective: The goal of the present study was to evaluate the impact of P4C on basic psychological need satisfaction and mental health in elementary school students. Method: Students from grades one to three (N = 57) took part in this study and completed pre- and post-intervention questionnaires. A randomized cluster trial with a wait-list control group was implemented to compare the effects of P4C on students’ mental health. Results: Analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) revealed a significant effect of group condition on levels of autonomy and anxiety, after controlling for baseline levels. Participants in the experimental group showed higher scores in autonomy, when compared to participants in the control group, and participants in the experimental group showed lower anxiety scores, when compared to participants in the control group. Conclusion: Overall, results from this study show that P4C may be a promising intervention to foster greater autonomy in elementary school children, while also improving mental health.

Thinking Otherwise: Speculative Imagining in PfC

<p>In the face of looming ecological catastrophe, ever-expanding neoliberalism and the ongoing integration of our lives into virtual spaces, there is an urgent need to expand people’s political imagination and responsiveness to these challenges. Engaging with philosophy outside the academic sphere – for example, in school and community contexts – can contribute to addressing this political need. Using the example of Philosophy for Children (PfC), an international educational movement, this thesis explores the potential for cross-paradigmatic approaches to philosophical inquiry. It observes that adherence to particular philosophical paradigms, as has largely been the case in PfC, binds the imagination to particular epistemic and political parameters and precludes ideas that contradict paradigmatic assumptions. Invoking the sensibility of Gillian Rose, I argue that we need a philosophy that permits people to imagine radically different political worlds in a manner that actively resists political ‘bubble-think’. This thesis illustrates how Rose’s cross-paradigmatic approach, speculative negotiation, can help to address some of the limits of paradigm thinking by inspiring a more transformative philosophy in contexts such as PfC. In doing so, this thesis contributes both to an expansion of the PfC programme and to questions surrounding the concrete practise of Rose’s rich theoretical oeuvre.</p>

Thinking Otherwise: Speculative Imagining in PfC

<p>In the face of looming ecological catastrophe, ever-expanding neoliberalism and the ongoing integration of our lives into virtual spaces, there is an urgent need to expand people’s political imagination and responsiveness to these challenges. Engaging with philosophy outside the academic sphere – for example, in school and community contexts – can contribute to addressing this political need. Using the example of Philosophy for Children (PfC), an international educational movement, this thesis explores the potential for cross-paradigmatic approaches to philosophical inquiry. It observes that adherence to particular philosophical paradigms, as has largely been the case in PfC, binds the imagination to particular epistemic and political parameters and precludes ideas that contradict paradigmatic assumptions. Invoking the sensibility of Gillian Rose, I argue that we need a philosophy that permits people to imagine radically different political worlds in a manner that actively resists political ‘bubble-think’. This thesis illustrates how Rose’s cross-paradigmatic approach, speculative negotiation, can help to address some of the limits of paradigm thinking by inspiring a more transformative philosophy in contexts such as PfC. In doing so, this thesis contributes both to an expansion of the PfC programme and to questions surrounding the concrete practise of Rose’s rich theoretical oeuvre.</p>

Expérimenter la pensée en schémas-images. Des adolescents s’interrogent « d’où viennent les pensées ? »

"Experimenting Thinking in Image Schemas. Teenagers are Wondering “Where Do Thoughts Come From?” An intellectual view of philosophy as an activity focusing on understanding abstract concepts and their relationships deprives philosophical exercise of the participation of the body and senses. If we reject the mind-body dualism, as Dewey, Johnson, etc. did, then we are constantly engaged in interactions with the world and others, and can thus consider the act of thinking from our own experiences. Inspired by an experimentalist conception of school and life, as well as the method of inquiry developed by Dewey, the Philosophy for Children program provides an inquiry process that invites participants to conceptualize and reason philosophically in a collaborative manner. Do these practices implement an embodied cognition? To find out, we selected a discussion as a case study and analyzed it based on the observation that the issue to be discussed by the participants - “where do thoughts come from?” contains two image schemas: path (come from) and source (where). We have noted a variety and a significant number of expressions (“they come from within”, “they come from what happens outside”, etc.) whose analysis enhances a better understanding of how an experience of understanding the origins of our thoughts fits into the discourse and contributes to a collective conceptualization of “thinking”. Keywords: image schemas, perceptual experience, conceptualisation, community of philosophical inquiry, experimentalism "