1 More positive aspects of philosophy Original Greek: Philo (loving) + Sophia (wisdom) Did one of your family or teachers have a philosophy (of life) that.

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More positive aspects of philosophy

Original Greek: Philo (loving) + Sophia (wisdom)

Did one of your family or teachers have a

philosophy (of life) that you admired?

Do you have a philosophy of sport, or of cooking,

and of education?

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Wise Up

Socrates

(470-399 B.C.) 

“Wisdom begins in wonder.”

“Good learning begins with questions, not answers”

Professor Guy Claxton

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Process and Content

“He who learns, but does not think,

is lost.

He who thinks, but does not learn,

is in great danger.”

Confucius (551 – 479 bc)

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Aims of P4C

“The aim of a thinking skills program such as P4C

to help (children) become

more thoughtful, more reflective,

more considerate and more reasonable individuals.”

Matthew Lipman

(1924 - )

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Overview of P4/wC

Originated in New Jersey, early 70’s, as a Thinking Skills programme Now taken up equally to promote Social and Emotional Skills

Practised in about 5,000 schools in USA Now being developed in over 60 countries,

some specifically to promote democratic values (e.g. Bulgaria, S. Korea)

Established in UK in early 90’s after BBC documentary, ‘Socrates for 6 year olds’, inspired founding of SAPERE

About 10,000 teachers now through basic training (min. 10 hours)

Typical timetabling: 1 hour per week, shown in Scotland to improve performance in key aspects of learning

(Also used for adult recreation – PiPs and POP – hence ‘Philosophy for Communities’)

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Clackmannanshire Head Teachers’ perceptions of positive change

Improved Questioning and Reasoning skills

Improved Reading and Understanding skills

Improved Listening skills

Improved Communication skills

Improved Behaviour

18 Primary schools, 1 hour ‘Philosophy’ a week, 1 Year

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Community of Philosophical Enquiry – Basic Practices and Principles

• sitting in a circle or horseshoe

(equality of status)

• turntaking, voting, wrong to ‘put down’, right to ‘pass’, etc.

(fairness of process and respect for persons)

• practice of questioning and responding

(spirit of enquiry and engagement with learning)

• reflecting, esp. seeking and giving reasons

(ideal of reasonableness)

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Concepts for enquiry

COMMON = of everyday concern

CENTRAL …to the way people think

CONTESTABLE = not easy to agree about

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Big Ideas Chart

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

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The 4 C’s of P4C

Thinking mode

CRITICAL

CREATIVE

CARING

COLLABORATIVE

Thinking focus

ABOUT THINKING

FOR YOURSELF

OF OTHERS

WITH OTHERS

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Philosophy’s enduring principle

Socrates (470 - 399 B.C.) 

“Not life, but good life, is to be chiefly valued”

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‘The unexamined life is not worth living’

QCDA endorses Socrates

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Still thinking?

“Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind

with an open one.”

Malcom S. Forbes (1919 - 1990)

“The release of atom power has changed everything except

our way of thinking...

the solution to this problem lies in the heart of mankind.

If only I had known, I should have become a watchmaker.”

- Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955)

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SAPERE(Society for Advancing Philosophical Enquiry and Reflection in Education)

Website: www.sapere.org.uk

[email protected]