Abstract

THEODOROPOULOU, Elena  and  NIKOLIDAKI, Sofia. The emergence of emergent philosophizing: preliminary notes. child.philo [online]. 2017, vol.13, n.26, pp.153-165. ISSN 1984-5987.  https://doi.org/10.12957/childphilo.2017.26646.

This paper aims at introducing the idea of Emergent Philosophizing (EmPhil) as a way of naming, describing, developing and further understanding the occurrence of philosophical insights among children in the classroom. The conceptualization of EmPhil is theoretically grounded in philosophies that explore the process of thinking as emergence, as a form of praxis, and as a way of life. Emergent philosophizing is an ongoing pedagogical concept that is still developing--both shaping and being reshaped by our experience in the classroom, dedicated as it is to a form of practice that allows children’s thinking (but also the teacher’s thinking) to unblock and unlock philosophical ideation. EmPhil is a form of wonder and epiphany, and it is up to adults to: a) recognize and welcome these emerging moments, and to recognize the philosophical or pre-philosophical ideas contained within them, through observation and dialogue, b) open up more space within organized activities for them to emerge; and c) maintain a responsive attitude toward’s children’s thinking, such that they are never lost, undervalued, or unnoticed). EmPhil opens a pedagogical space for children in which to view their own thoughts as important as needing to be acknowledged, questioned, discussed and not left aside. EmPhil celebrates the instant,, the fresh,, the unfinished,, and the ongoing process of thinking that keeps changing and developing in the dialogical setting that philosophy for/with children provides. As such, EmPhil forges a creative bond between pedagogy and philosophy that is not as yet fully explored.

Keywords : Emergence; Philosophizing; Thinking; Philosophy With/For Children.

        · abstract in Portuguese | Spanish     · text in English     · English ( pdf )