This paper has arisen directly from the authors’ experiences of leading professional development for teachers in Philosophy with Children (P4C), a well-established approach to teaching that seeks to foster philosophical questioning, critical thinking, reasoning and dialogue. The paper expresses deep concern about the anxiety shown by many teachers regarding discussion of controversial issues in the classroom, and some teachers’ avoidance of open-ended dialogue about works of children’s literature that might touch on taboo subjects. The authors suggest that this is indicative of a desire for risk-free teaching and is a form of censorship that marginalises children and limits their learning and academic freedom. The exercise of such avoidance and control reduces the potential for schools to become more democratic institutions. Drawing directly on their practice of working philosophically with children in school, as well as on philosophical and other sources, the authors of the paper offer a range of arguments about the processes of education to support the case for challenging such forms of censorship and risk avoidance.

This paper argues that Philosophical Intelligence is an important form of human intelligence best developed in children through philosophical dialogue. Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI) is critically reviewed. MI theory, it is argued, requires clearer definition and a theory of pedagogy to make it practical and applicable in school settings. This paper focuses on redefining the concept of existential intelligence and on identifying a workable pedagogy through which it can be developed. Gardner’s ‘existential intelligence’ is redefined in terms of Philosophical Intelligence and linked to the historical tradition of philosophical enquiry. The community of enquiry provides a pedagogical basis for developing Philosophical Intelligence. Ways that Philosophical Intelligence can be developed through communities of enquiry are illustrated with recent research using ‘Stories for Thinking’ and other forms of stimulus.

The term “childhood animality” has been used to refer to those associations between children and animals that are based on their affinities toward one another, their seeming psychological similarities, and also on the “cultural stories” of likeness between children and animals that find their way into our philosophical, psychological, and political history. Here I examine how the concept of childhood animality underlies some philosophical accounts of moral responsibility. In order to capture what we ought to say about the morally relevant differences between children and animals I argue that we should accept an account of “diminished” moral responsibility—a kind of responsibility ascription that has the consequence that some children are responsible for particular actions but not others, and animals are not morally responsible for any actions.

In 2004 the Norwegian government undertook a project with philosophy in primary and lower secondary schools. The aim was to find out whether and in what form this is possible and desirable. The project started in autumn 2005 and will conclude in summer 2007. Results so far have been promising.

This paper provides a critical examination of philosophy teaching at all levels in Australian schools. It looks at the points of difference and congruence between the States and Territories and argues that teaching philosophy through the philosophical community of inquiry should be a core element of school curricula. In spite of a growing interest in philosophy in schools, its documented benefits and the high degree of “fit” with a revised curriculum in at least two states, the implementation of philosophy by education departments has been relatively slow and piecemeal. There are discrete courses available in upper secondary school, but approaches differ between the various education jurisdictions. The work of the Federation of Australasian Philosophy in Schools Associations, and the branches at State level, provide training and networking for interested educators but this has not translated into policy. An education policy that gives a central role to good, clear philosophical thinking will give children the tools they need to succeed in the rapidly changing cultural, technological, social and cultural environment of the 21st Century.

The use of music videos as a pedagogical tool continues to be a new idea in schools and institutions of higher learning. Although there has been substantial literature and empirical studies on teaching using music and films, there is no known in-depth study to date on using music videos in teaching. This paper explores the possibility of teaching philosophy using music videos by highlighting the benefits of teaching using films and music. By focusing on two areas of philosophy - critical reasoning, and epistemology - the paper explores the possibility of using two popular music videos for the teaching of deductive and inductive arguments, and the concept of knowledge.