Children of all ages should study philosophy in school to develop their critical thinking skills, education experts said today.Academics suggest that, rather than start off with Socrates, teachers use common classroom disputes to help children learn about abstract philosophical principles such as fairness, morality and punishment. They give the example of apportioning blame for spilling paintThe book Philosophy in Schools, edited by Dr Michael Hand of the Institute of Education and Dr Carrie Winstanley of Roehampton University, puts forward several arguments for including philosophy in the school curriculum."Critical thinkers are people who reason well, and who judge and act on the basis of their reasoning," Hand says.
Academics suggest that, rather than start off with Socrates, teachers use common classroom disputes to help children learn about abstract philosophical principles such as fairness, morality and punishment. They give the example of apportioning blame for spilling paint
The book Philosophy in Schools, edited by Dr Michael Hand of the Institute of Education and Dr Carrie Winstanley of Roehampton University, puts forward several arguments for including philosophy in the school curriculum.
"Critical thinkers are people who reason well, and who judge and act on the basis of their reasoning," Hand says.
abstract philosophical principles such as fairness, morality
[Weeps]
