The Philosophers' Club

"The Philosophers' Club" is a fantastic effort to lead students into a thinking mode. Christopher Phillips took his text from his own teaching experience with students. Sort of text out of context. If another classroom or homeschool teacher or parent wants to adapt this text per se, I think they will have difficulty. They will need to read other background philosophy books to even understand what Mr. Phillips is attempting because "The Philosophers' Club" reads like the conclusion of a unit Mr. Phillips taught. However, I applaud his efforts to teach children the deeper meaning of wisdom, how to think, how to ask questions, how to discuss potential answers, and how not to take things for granted. All of his goals are worthy. Here are just a few books that could be used in conjuction with "The Philosophers' Club." After all, one needs a text to have a context! One needs information before a club can be established. Young Person's Guide to Philosophy The Examined Life: Advanced Philosophy for Kids Wise Guy: The Life and Philosophy of Socrates Philosophy and the Young Child (Harvard Paperbacks)

This book is a favorite in my classroom. The children enjoy the content as well as the illustrations. Last year I tied this book into the theme of my classroom, which was: "Philosophy - Love of Wisdom."

This book is for anyone who likes to ask questions, questions, questions and more questions. It taps into the childlike love of questioning that we are all born with but that so many of us lose (or lose touch with) as we get older and have answers crammed down us. [Some adults have] lost the ability to understand what it's like to cultivate your sense of wonder. But children (and all those adults who still love to question and explore) will take to this book quickly and cherish it.

I am eager to try this book with some of my classes, but I haven't used it yet. I like the format - first he takes you through a discussion of a particular question and then he asks a lot of related questions. I have been looking for a book that would help children explore significant questions about their world. This may help.