"The focus
is on asking questions because philosophy, as Socrates said, begins in wonder.
We don’t just ask ourselves questions—we ask others, those who make up our
society. It’s true that philosophy involves a lot of sittin’ and thinkin’ on
one’s own, but as the late American philosopher Matthew Lipman wrote in his
essay “The Educational Role of Philosophy”:
“Philosophy may
begin in wonder and eventuate in understanding, or even, in a few instances, in
wisdom, but along the way it involves a good deal of strenuous activity. This
activity generally takes the form of dialogue.”
"K-12
education in America can be the petri dish in which a more promising and
enduring approach to living in an increasingly pluralistic society can be
cultivated. Experiencing (and, yes, enjoying!) the participatory, communal
manner in which philosophers argue their positions will enable our kids to
evaluate the myriad issues that come up in social and political life and, to
the extent possible, respectfully engage those who disagree with them.
If we fail to
turn second-graders into Socrates, our kids may end up becoming expert at
making a living, but they will be incompetent at creating a civil
society."
