 One of the things the
5th and 6th grade classes did in the Spring 2004 was a unit on Philosophy. Using the
book Philosophy for Kids Philosophy for Kids : 40 Fun Questions
That Help You Wonder ... About Everything! by: David A. White we discussed two
questions a week. Students enjoyed these discussions commenting that they rarely got
to talk about "stuff" in school. Below find excerpts from the students'
final assignment; a three part essay answering the following questions: What is
Philosophy? How did the study of Philosophy change your thinking? What questions did
you like the best? Pick three and discuss.We
received an email from David White, the author of the book. This is what he had to
say to the students who wrote reflection papers:
I was
looking for something on Google and by chance discovered the site (and your address)
listing the presentation of Philosophy Reflection Papers at the Nieman E L Center, as
based on my Philosophy for Kids. Please allow me to congratulate the students-–and,
of course, the teacher!-–for their fine work in responding to the three questions
posed. [As a footnote, it was fascinating, in a sort of bittersweet way, to see that those
students, at such a tender age, write with greater control and competence than about half
my undergraduates this quarter....] It is edifying indeed to see how well the book works
with these most able young minds. Please convey my regards and admiration to
everyone involved!
Sincerely,
David White
Philosophy/American Studies
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
Excerpts from Philosophy Reflection Papers
6th Grade Spring 2004
From Jessica Mc: " For the last several weeks we have
been studying Philosophy in class. We have looked at some of the famous philosophers and
some truly puzzling questions, some which had us debating for quite a long time.
Philosophy, to me, is the greatest form of thinking, something that really gets your mind
to work and makes you more aware of the world. Philosophy, and its great thinkers, dares
to question things we are sure of. After we really think about and question them for a
period of time we discover it is not as simple as it seemed in the first place. Philosophy
makes you look at things from all points of view, not just your own……Since we
started the philosophy unit I have really changed the way I view things. It makes me looks
at things from more than one angle, which is something I hadn’t done before. Although
I am still very opinionated, my opinions are more thought out and have been looked at from
other angles.
From Catherine C: Philosophy is the study of thinking.
Philosophy questions the very basic things we assume we know. Philosophy is the study of
ideas in pursuit of wisdom and enlightenment. Mt three favorite philosophers so far are
Plato Aristotle and Confucius. Plato asked "Are you a fair and just person?" In
order to answer this question you need to be able to define "fair" and
"just". I think this made people in the class really ponder whether they had
previously met the criteria. If they realized that they had not been fair and just, maybe
this question became life altering for them.
From Grace G.: I think Philosophy is when you have a
question, that isn’t a scientific question, or a question that is explained easily,
that you have to answer. To answer a philosophical question you need to sit and think for
a long time. Philosophy is almost like science, only you have to think outside the box and
not dwell on what you already know. Philosophy makes you think. I think studying
Philosophy has changed the way I think….(it) has made me think more about the
consequences of certain things. I loved having the philosophical discussions because they
gave you different perspectives on things. One of my favorite philosophers was Rene
Descartes. I liked his question "Can you doubt if you exist?" He said you have
to exist to doubt and if you can doubt something it exists. I really liked his quote
"I think, therefore I am."
From Allison W.: The study of Philosophy has dramatically
changed the way I think about the world and the things in it. I think it has changed my
thinking for the better. Because of our discussions, I know I think more out of the box. I
think there are several reasons for this. First of all, when we were handed a question, it
always seemed like there was an easy answer that took no brains at all to answer. Then we
would read the question and discuss it and would realize the answer is not always what it
seems to be. Listening to the other students’ points of view and discussing with them
had me think more out of the box, too. By studying Philosophy I now think things over
before I jump right in thinking I know exactly what people are talking about. When we
first started having the discussions I would always think my answer was the only right one
and the other people were automatically, with that type of thinking, wrong. As we
continued with the discussions I realized I am not always right and it has helped me
listen to other peoples points of view. Another way these discussions have changed me is I
take my time when having to answer questions. I used to rush through without thinking and
taking the first answer that came to mind, now I think, looking for the best answer.
One of my favorite questions was Aristotle’s "How
do you know who your friends are?" We had a huge discussion about popularity and true
friends. Discussing this question made me think about popularity, my friends, and how I
could be a better friend.
From Joe U.: Philosophy has changed the way many people
think, Philosophy has been around for many centuries, and philosophy is still here today.
I believe Philosophy is the discussion of things, which are sometimes beyond the limit of
human understanding, as if it is a desperate attempt to set our place in the universe.
From Hayley K.: One of the questions I enjoyed discussing
was John Stuart Mill’s question, "Will having fun make you happier than
studying?" The first answer that popped into my head was "having fun", but
after our discussion about it I decided that studying for school would make you happier
because in the long run it will help you more.
From William K: Some of the questions we discussed were fun
and some were very frustrating. I liked the discussions that did not have to do with you
as much. Questions that I liked were Plato’s "Where do numbers go when you are
not using them?" and Berkeley’s "If a tree fall in the forest and there is
no one to hear it does it make a sound?"
From Brendon B.: My favorite philosopher is Immanuel Kant. I
like the discussion on "How do you know if you know something?" and my favorite
question of all "Should you ever lie?" If I was a philosopher my answer would be
"yes, depending on the circumstances." ….Kant says you should not lie no
matter what. Kant says that lying goes again the morality of humans and violates the rules
of a society.
From Alex G.: Rene Descartes was said to be the father of
modern Philosophy. His theory about how you can doubt you can exist is very puzzling and
mysterious. Can you really prove you exist? Could you be dreaming this whole time and not
know it? Rene Descartes thought that if you could doubt you exist then you must exist. He
gave a simple answer in the form of a quote, "I think, therefore I am." It means
that if you think then you exist. If you think that you can’t exist, then you exist
because you are able to think about it.
From Kristen O.: I think Philosophy is one of the most
intricate forms of thinking…it is a study that never ends!!……Philosophy has
made me think more than I have ever thought before. I think everyone should learn
Philosophy because we could think a lot more and do better in school and work. Just think
that if we thought more often about some of these things it might help to respect each
other’s opinions.
From Jakki S.: My favorite question was "Should you let
the little things bother you? I liked this question because it lets me know that
everything doesn’t have to be perfect and it shouldn’t bother me.
From Shannon B.: Philosophy is trying to answer difficult
questions about life. It also makes you think….The study of Philosophy has changed
the way I think by making me question myself and the things I think are true.
From Jenni P.: I really like Aristotle’s friendship
question. I hadn’t thought about being popular in the ways we discussed. It made me
think about who my real friends are. I liked this question because it made me think more
than I usually do. Studying Philosophy was a great experience and I’d like to do more
later. |
