Customer Reviews

Philosophy for Kids : 40 Fun Questions That Help You Wonder About Everything!

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been looking for a book to get my middle school
gifted classes interested in talking about philosophical
issues and this is one book that I have found that addresses
that need.

The actual organization of each section isn't exactly what I
would like, however. I think the students might be more
interested in a confrontational approach. What I mean by
that is that the book asks the question and then gives the
students some choices. It then goes on to explain that how you
selected your answers determines whether you think like X, where
X is a famous philosopher.

It is at this point, that I would find it interesting to
interject some controversy. X thinks this, and here is
why, but Y thought this and these are the resons why they
disagree.

I would also like more of the multiple choice questions.
The students seem to really like taking mini-tests to
see what they are like, e.g., if you marked mostly A's
you are an Aristotelian, if you marked mostly B's you
think more like Des Cartes.

Nevertheless, I have found the book to serve its purpose.
The students are discussing philosophy and they are
exploring the fact that perhaps the teacher doesn't have
all of the answers. Maybe nobody knows all of the answers.
Maybe, even, they might get a chance to make up their own
minds. In that sense, this is a good book.

As a PhD in philosophy and as the mother of a two year-old, I was interested in finding a book that dealt with philosophical issues, but in plain language easily accessible to children. What I found was this book: David White accomplishes a lot in _Philosophy for Kids_. White discusses 40 basic philosophical questions you'd find in any introduction to philosophy course (like "Can you doubt that you exist?")and does it in a simple conversational style. Through these questions, White acquaints children with some key philosophical figues, enabling them to eventually associate major thinkers with the philosohical questions (and answers) that made them famous. He also encourages children to think about these issues themselves and develop answers of their own (perhaps different than those of the thinker). White does this through a series of discussion questions at the end of each issue meant for individual contemplation or group discussion. Finally, White provides a short glossary of important philosophiocal terms that can eventually be worked into the child's vocabualry as he/she matures. In all, White offers a great introduction to the world of philosophy for children of different ages. Depending on the age and intellectual maturity of the child, this book can either be a gateway into showing a child how to look at the world more deeply, or as a means to seriously familiarize a child with key philosophical concepts, persons and terms.

This is an excellent classroom discussion starter which relates philosophy to kid's real-life concerns. There are multiple choice questions at the end of each chapter that hekp kids start thinking about the issues and discussion ideas. It is appropriate for kids as young as 8 and as old as 14.

I used this book to help me frame out the philosophy segment of my middle school gifted and talented class. The book is organized in terms of branches of philosophy: values, knowledge, metaphysics and critical thinking. Under each heading are thought-provoking questions that draw the reader in. Each of these is followed by a brief activity that links the question to kids' lives. After they are hooked in, the author explains the idea being discussed, and introduces the philosopher responsible for the idea. This structure of focusing first on the practical implications and then working backwards to the idea worked very well to catch and hold students' interest. The way the book is organized also makes it more flexible. Each question provides an independent lesson. You can skip around, and answer as many as you like. The length of each lesson also supports the ease of use, although with many you may want to extent it with the For Further Thought section.

If you want to try something fresh with your students, but philosophy intimidates you, don't worry. There is even a section in the back called How to Philosophize if you are not a Philosopher, which is loaded with practical advice, suggestions for classroom procedures, and specific teaching tips for each of the questions discussed. It even includes typical student reactions.

Overall, the students enjoyed the activities and questions in this book. It was not always easy for them to accept that there are no easy answers, but they were definitely engaged and challenged by the material. I found it to be a wonderful, helpful, handy, practical resource for introducing young people to philosophy.

I bought this book and several other "introductory" philosophy books to help me create a high school elective in philosophy. The other books I purchased used the traditional method of simplifying some of philosophy's abstract concepts, some better than others. But Philosophy for Kids is different in that it uses questions and clarifying exercises to help students (and anyone else who reads the book) to understand the philosophies and opinions that they already hold. After using this book in the classroom my students were able to find out just how philosophical they already were. This book does not have to be read from beginning to end, but can be explored by whatever topic/question appeals to the reader the most and then moving on to other related questions. Any reader, of any age, can get to know themselves better by reading this book. And isn't that one of the main goals of philosophy?

I'm not a teacher, but I am a student of philosophy who knows a great book when she reads one, and Professor White's "Philosophy for Kids" fits the bill. I appreciate this book not only because I think it's effective in getting youth to think about significant scholarly issues (this, I admit, it probably accomplishes quite well). Rather, I give PFK an A+ for its amazing ability to introduce *any* curious person to some of mankind's most timeless and pressing questions--and some of his most insightful thinkers--regardless of the age or academic background of the reader.

Organized into sections according to four major branches of philosophy--ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, and logic--the book eases you into an exciting exploration of a myriad of connected but diverse philosophical questions. White's "leads" at the beginnings of the chapters, or "Questions," are always attention-grabbers, and I find the question-and-answer format helpful for framing the philosophical issue in a practical, concrete way before diving into a more rigorous investigation of the many facets of the Question and how they relate to one or more major philosophers. Far from being heavy-handed or tyrannical, these opening "situations" are thought-provoking engagements for the student. What a refreshing change from dry, overly cerebral, merely explanatory summaries of what a particular philosopher wrote about x, y, and z! The reader gets a stunningly broad introduction to major philosophical thinkers, their questions, and their answers without even realizing it. When a textbook is so inviting that it whets your appetite to read the more difficult, original works of both ancient and modern philosophers, you know you have something special.

The practical questions and answers are often amusing, but never trite. Many gently encourage self-reflection and make dense philosophical ideas actually personal and relatable, and in my opinion, philosophy and self-reflection are always a winning combination.

From an educational view, I think that Part IV on logic, or critical thinking, is alone worth the price of the book. This section helps students start to analyze the very foundations of what it means for a statement to be true, for a thing to be defined, for a thing to be caused. These kinds of cognitive skills are absolutely elemental--and essential--to further study in philosophy (as well as all sorts of endeavors), and so this section of the textbook is pure windfall for both student and teacher.

All of the "little things" also make this book stand out from the rest and show great craftsmanship in layout and details: many of the quotes located at the end of the Questions are exceptionally eloquent (all are relevant food for thought), the black-and-white illustrations of the philosophers are delightful, and even the cover and font are just downright attractive (and especially striking given the work's real potential as a formal textbook). Although I don't have much formal teaching experience, my impression is that the "Teaching Tips" at the end of the book could serve as a real catalyst for refining one's skills at facilitating and fielding classroom discussion. I especially liked the additional exercises and challenges White suggests in "Further Thoughts" and "Teaching Tips"; they constitute a wonderful continuation of the practical "question and answer" protocol highlighted throughout the book.

In summary, the excellence of this lovely textbook certainly speaks to the high caliber of an experienced teacher who knows much about philosophy (and life) and cares deeply about both. One can only desperately and impatiently hope for more luminous correspondence with a mind and heart like his, whether in the form of another book ... or through a different venue.

Using this book was one of the highlights of the last few years. I used the book with fifth and sixth graders in my district's program for gifted students and the questions sparked some great classroom discussions. The kids enjoyed the discussions and said "we don't get to talk about 'stuff' in our regular class". Philosophy for Kids hit the spot.

Are numbers and people equally real?

Can you doubt that you exist?

Do we control technology or does technology control us?

"I am lying." True or False?

Two or three mornings a week, the boys and I start our academic day with these sorts of questions from David A. White's Philosophy for Kids: 40 Fun question That Help You Wonder...About Everything. Philosophy for Kids is aimed at children 10 and up but could easily be used with somewhat younger gifted children, depending on verbal skills and their ability to think abstractly.

White's Philosophy for Kids is broken down into four sections: values (ethics), knowledge (epistemology), reality (metaphysics), and critical thinking (logic) -- each divided further into 10 questions. While this rather order-driven mom is covering the chapters in order, one could easily jump around through the book, following the kids' interest, as the author suggests. Most chapters end with a reference to another questions in the book, which could guide the leader's path as well. Either way would work.

Each chapter begins with a brief discussion of the question and (for the first 29 questions) a short introduction to the philosopher whose viewpoint is under examination for the lesson. Midway through the discussion, the reader/listener does a brief exercise designed to deepen understanding about the question and examine personal thoughts and beliefs. For example, question #16 (Knowledge) explores Immanuel Kant's examination of knowledge, asking, "How can you tell when you know something?" The introductory exercise asks how the reader knows that 2 +2 = 4 and how you know an apple you are holding is red. The answers are multiple choice, and after one answers (and we do these aloud), White identifies the answers that would follow Kant's philosophy, and further explanation of subjective versus objective knowing follows. Each chapter ends with two to four questions for further thought. Some are quite challenging, and the first "For Further Thought" in this chapter is no exception, as White poses the question, "What is the difference between knowledge and belief?" White guides the reader somewhat, suggesting to first differentiate between an opinion and a belief then move to the distinction between belief and knowledge. Brief notes in the back of the book give a bit of additional information about the philosopher (or, in the last 11 chapters, question) at hand as well as add some guidance for leading a discussion on the topic. I'm not sure who appreciates the additional information more, the boys or I.

White includes a general introduction to philosophy and guiding philosophical conversations with kids (and he has a number of years experience teaching philosophy to children and college-aged folks). The book ends with a resource list for further philosophy reading for children and adults, a brief list of suggestions for integrating philosophy across the curriculum, and a glossary complete with references back to the questions. The book is easy to navigate and enjoyable to simply browse and explore, which is White's intent.

While one could add additional readings or assign the "For Further Thought" questions as essay assignments, the process of philosophical thought should remain the focus of study. Philosophical thought comes more naturally to some people than others, and while some may poetically say that children are "natural philosophers", and my kids certainly ask questions ad infinitum, the jump from questioning to philosophical thinking still can take some encouragement and practice. White's book has been an excellent way to start growing more formal philosophical thought.

Our next philosophical stop is likely David White's The Examined Life: Advanced Philosophy for Kids, although probably we won't begin that journey until the next school year. That's likely to depend on the direction the boys want to take next. As for me, once my philosophical brain starts grinding away, I'm eager for more grist for my mill. It's been over 20 years since I've had a philosophy class, and I've missed that sort of thinking. Thanks to David White for setting that mill into action again.

I bought this book to read with my nine-year old daughter. Lots of great questions posed, but we found they weren't explored deeply enough for our satisfaction. One could argue that this is precisely the purpose of the book, ie to encourage further discussion, but we're both quite new to the field of philosophy and lack the training and tools for a deep evaluation of the issues. Another book, Philosophy Rocks (Law), offers far deeper analyses (of admittedly fewer questions), but left us far more satisfied and inspired.

Having had a personal interest in Philosophy, as well as looking to inspire higher level thinking in the 4th grade curriculum, my search through Amazon's choices brought me to one standout possibility: Philosophy for Kids. After looking it over here on Amazon, I decided it looked very unique and user friendly, which is essential to me as a NYC schoolteacher with little time to spare.

From day one, this book made for a smash-bang hit in my classroom. I was floating on air as the students, most of whom had never heard of Philosophy before, left my classroom absolutely exuberant after its first lesson. They were literally bursting out, "I LOVE Philosophy!", and when I replied, "Well, I love that you love Philosophy", another replied, "I love Philosophy more than you love that I love Philosophy!" (We were already into deep territory!) In addition, I myself was able to enjoy and learn more about one of my favorite topics with the children, adding the experience of rich sharing to yet another subject.

I really appreciate the book's thoughtful and flexible organization as well; my students love the way the exercises that are built into every chapter set us up for the discussion to follow. I have divided my class into "Philosophy Groups" where they can later share their extended reactions. The section in the back of the book for teachers on each chapter is very helpful for me to read just before(or even while!)we have our session.

The parents are absolutely delighted with this being included weekly as enrichment curriculum. My fourth graders continue to be fascinated by the content, and conversations arise that challenge us all and raise the thinking to an almost dizzying level. Philosophers that we study, one by one, are added to our ongoing "Heroes" chart. Plus, it is extremely uplifting to find how often the questions discussed find their way into other lessons; further proving its worth as a critical thinking boost.

I teach in the gifted program, which at times inspires a too-competitive and sometimes stress-inducing component, so I found it of interest that several of the children commented what they really love about it is that they can openly express how they think, and that there is not a "right or wrong" answer.

I also hold afterschool sessions for general education. Those students noticed some of the philosophy material, and expressed an interest. I now provide them with the weekly investigations, and they too are becoming philosophy fans. Let me assure the reader that this material can be exactly what the doctor ordered for all students, regardless of "classification".

In addition, understanding our mutual pressures for time as educators, I want to point out that the philosophical explorations also serve as material for read alouds, listening passage comprehension, guided or shared reading, written responses, and history. Using these selections can be a great enhancement to the quality of your curriculum. Highly recommended for all. Thanks, Dr. White!