Abstract

VITA, Anastasia de. Children and questions of meaning through adults’ representations. On the image of philosopher child. child.philo [online]. 2014, vol.10, n.19, pp.109-127. ISSN 1984-5987.  https://doi.org/10.12957/childphilo.2014.10196.

This paper is a reflection on an inquiry that emerged from research into questions about meaning that young children raise as a result of their encounter with the world. It explores the significance these questions have both for them and for the adults involved in their education. My aim is to understand the propositions they make that are in fact questions, the meanings which the latter take on for them, and the educational practices that foster the emergence of questioning processes in general. The observation of these educational practices and of the dialogue they are capable of stimulating leads me to conclude that young children’s disposition to question the meaning of the world is a topic which is yet to be fully explored, despite the fact that in our time adults tend to value children deeply, and to show an active interest in their knowledge processes. Questions of meaning represent a sort of ‘shadow zone’ in comparison with the discourses usually associated with children and childhood, which appear to be profoundly influenced by those representations and images of the child that, albeit unconsciously, underlie both parents’ and teachers’ educational interventions. It is precisely one of the least salient of these representations - namely, that of the philosophical child - with which this paper is concerned. It is, on the one hand, a well-known image; on the other, it often has a blurred outline due to the multiple perspectives that can be recognized within its compass. Those concerned to engage the philosophical child aim both at explaining the functioning of children’s processes of thinking and their ways of acquiring knowledge, and at understanding what are the most suitable educational interventions for promoting their philosophical development. The work of Lipman, Kyle, Matthews, and Martens is featured here in a brief exploration of various educational traditions, practices and pedagogical contexts that both respect and foster the development of the philosophical child.

Keywords : Educational Contexts; Representations of Childhood; Child Philosopher.

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