Who Knows What May Be Lurking in Young Minds?

For those who want to discuss philosophy with their children or students, but aren't sure how to get started, here's a book that might help.

The Dead Philosophers' Cafe by Vittorio Hosle is an entertaining series of letters (real ones) between a philosophy professor and an eleven-year-old girl. Nora (the younger participant), has done a little reading on her own, and is full of questions about the meaning of life, the nature of ideas, and other mysteries. Over the course of two years, the unlikely pair cover a number of great thinkers, and occasionally disagree. The letters not only demonstrate the incredible potential of young philosophers, but also ways in which adults can begin difficult, but important conversations.

Add this to your list of back-to-school supplies!

Women Philosophers: Look Closely. They're There.

There's no shortage of great thinkers, but in philosophy, it's sometimes difficult to find females in the crowd. Admittedly, most historical eras did not encourage deep thought in ladies, but make no mistake, there were still a significant number of them who decided to buck tradition and use their heads. For thousands of years, women have been involved in logic, ethics, theory of reality, theory of knowledge, political theory, religious philosophy, aesthetics, and much more.

If you have a curious little girl looking for a new role model, or if you'd like to present a more inclusive picture to your little boy, check out these wonderful websites, and meet some amazing women who have contributed to the evolution of thought and wisdom.

http://www.women-philosophers.com/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_female_philosophers
http://www.uh.edu/~cfreelan/SWIP/women.html
http://www.geocities.com/athens/forum/9974/

Change in Schedule for Children's Workshop

"What Are We Really?", our workshop for children interested in philosophy and the environment, has been moved to Thursday, July 23 from 10-11:30 am. Young thinkers ages 7-12 are welcome, and this is a free event. There will be discussions about critters of all shapes and sizes (including humans), fun activities, as well as take-home resources for parents. Space is limited. To reserve a spot, please contact POWER Halton Hills at info@powerhalton.ca, or at (905) 873-1820. If you'd like to know more about the workshop itself, feel free to contact Amy Leask at amy@enabletc.com, or at (905) 864-1858 x3. Hope to see you there!

Think and Ride

Well, it isn't explicitly about children's philosophy, but I think this article does drive home the idea that great thought doesn't have to happen in an academic setting. All of us, including children, spend a great deal of time doing menial things, like commuting, or cutting the grass, or washing the dishes. It's often through routine tasks like these that we get five or ten precious minutes of quiet to actually think about nothing in particular, and these moments present a rare opportunity to ponder the mysteries of the universe. Just as I firmly believe that Sartre, Aristotle and Rand belong in conversations with little people, I believe that there's room for them in our own daily tasks as well.

We'll never get the opportunity to chat with Gandhi on a crowded city bus, but...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8117567.stm

Coming Events!

• Diversity matters! Learn about the many species that share our planet, and discuss ways to keep them happy and healthy. Visit Amy and POWER at the Georgetown Market place on Friday, May 29 from 4-8 for demonstrations and information.
• Adults need philosophy too! Step into big ideas and discuss our place in the ecosystem at POWER Halton Hills on Thursday, June 25 from 7 to 9 pm. Email amy@enabletc.com or call (905) 864-1858 x3 for details.
• Kids care about the environment! Join us for a children's eco-philosophy workshop at POWER Halton Hills on July 16 from 10-11:30 am. Email amy@enabletc.com or call (905) 864-1858 x3 for more details.

Robots are people too...or are they?

"Animated and Automated", a series of philosophy activities for young thinkers curious about our mechanical friends, is now posted at http://www.kidsthinkaboutit.com/Curriculum. Check it out!

Beauty From a Shorter Perspective

Little thinkers may not know (or care) about Aristotelian ideals of art, but as the saying goes, they definitely "know what they like". Unafraid to voice their opinions, and unburdened by the prejudices we grow into as adults, they may actually school their parents and teachers on the virtues of creativity and innovation. With tiny thinkers in tow, a trip to any local art gallery can be turned into a philosophy lesson in aesthetics. Here are some suggestions:

• Choose a small room in the gallery, stand in the middle, and have your kid thinkers choose their favourite piece. Ask them to explain what they like about the piece, and make sure they're specific. Be sure to distinguish between features of the actual piece (colour, shape, etc.), and how it makes them feel.
• Have them pretend that they are the artist that created the piece, and ask them to explain its message. They can also role play, and describe how they were feeling on the day it was created, and what they were trying to say to people viewing the piece.
• Make comparisons between pieces. Ask your little thinker to find one piece that is beautiful, one that it ugly and one that is interesting. Discuss what each of these words means to them. (Ex. This painting is beautiful because...but this one is ugly because...)
• Introduce the idea of subjectivity to them. Ask them to choose a piece that they like today, but that they might not like another day, if they were in a different mood. (Ex. On a grumpy day, I might like this one better because...)
• Emphasize that there aren't right and wrong answers when discussing art. The important thing is that they explain why they think the way they do, and give examples.