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featured book review: september 2002 "Philosophy Rocks!" by Stephen Law for Ages 8-14 (from Hyperion Press, 2002) "A Young Person's Guide to Philosophy" by Jeremy Weate for Ages 10-14 (from Dorling-Kindersley, 1998) "Philosophy and the Young Child" by Gareth B. Matthews out of print (from Harvard University Press, 1980) Last month's essay and book review suggested that philosophy can and does serve many of the purposes of theology while valuing the human intellect in the process, from consolation to exploration of the human condition to the asking --- and sometimes answering --- of complex questions. This month we take a look at three books representing the cream of the available literature introducing philosophy to young people. Though there are several books for five- to eight-year olds that begin to engender philosophical thinking (such as The Philosopher's Club by Christopher Phillips, Tricycle Press, 2001), the best of the literature is aimed a bit later, at that splendid window that opens around grades 3 and 4 --- and too often closes, if not thrown wide, by the early teens. It is within this window, between ages eight and fourteen, that kids often become such insatiable sponges, indomitable questioners, energetic doers and boundless thinkers. Before this window opens, children are building the foundation for a philosophical mind on their own or with a parental intermediary (ideally a parent with the Matthews book at the bedside); after the window passes, the first steps toward the ossification of the adult mind are often taken --- again, IF that window isn't thrust wide when the opportunity arises. PHILOSOPHY ROCKS! by Stephen Law and YOUNG PERSON'S GUIDE TO PHILOSOPHY by Jeremy Weate are two outstanding, age-appropriate introductions to philosophical thinking, differing in ways that make them excellent as companions. The Weate is brief (at 64 pp) and is built around a clear and entertaining exposition of the actual history and thinkers in philosophy as well as their ideas. PHILOSOPHY ROCKS! is intended primarily as an exploration of the ideas themselves, from knowledge theory to ethics to metaphysics, using humor without condescension and clearly illustrating the ways in which an argument must be undergirded with reason and/or empirical support --- a nice, sharp contrast to any theology the kids might come across. It's a bit more in-depth and detailed than most books for kids or even for early teens (214 pages), but just right for a child with the right preparation and a thirst for these questions. Especially valuable is the repeated demonstration that the answer to one question most often leads to other, often more fundamental and important questions. Both volumes are well-illustrated, attractively laid out and affordably priced. Gareth Matthews' PHILOSOPHY AND THE YOUNG CHILD is an unsurpassed classic. First published in 1980, this book manages in one hundred pages to convince the reader of the capacity of the youngest children for philosophical growth and to inspire parents to encourage and direct that capacity as the child's intellectual abilities and sense of wonder grow and develop. The chapter divisions speak to the organizing principles of the book and give a taste of its clarity: Puzzlement, Play, Reasoning, [pioneering developmental psychologist Jean] Piaget, Stories, Fantasy, Anxiety, Naiveté, and Dialogues. The "Stories" chapter makes a point that has gained additional ground in recent years: certain authors of children's stories "have been almost the only important adults to recognize that children are naturally intrigued by philosophical questions" --- moreso, even, than Piaget himself, or other developmental psychologists. Matthews makes reference to five stories that encourage and include philosophical inquiry: "The Bear that Wasn't," "The Wizard of Oz," Thurber's "Many Moons," "Winnie-the-Pooh," of course, and "Frog and Toad Together." If the Matthews book appeals to you, take a look at his two later books on the subject: "Dialogues with Children" (1984) and "The Philosophy of Childhood" (1994). Both come highly recommended by parents and profesisonals in the field. So parents whose goal is to raise a child whose natural gifts and tendencies toward philosophical wonder and inquiry are nurtured and strengthened to produce a first-rate adult mind need look no further. Begin with the Matthews books as an intellectual and thematic guide for the parent through the first eight years, then wrap up PHILOSOPHY ROCKS! and YOUNG PERSON'S GUIDE as a gift for the first day of fourth grade. |
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