ABSTRACT
This chapter is a philosophical analysis as opposed to a description, an empirical study or a literature review, of the importance of philosophy in Philosophy with Children1 (pwc). We argue that philosophising should be done for its own sake because philosophical assumptions underlie all aspects of both individual and collective human life. They underlie every judgement and judgement underlies action, and so bringing to light and understanding the underlying philosophical assumptions empowers individuals. Philosophical assumptions also underlie science, art, morality, politics and social life. And this understanding you only get with philosophising, not with an exchange of opinions. For example, when a person says ‘I think it’s good when people are fair to everyone’ although the person uses the words ‘good’ and ‘fair’ this is not a philosophical comment or argument, it is a statement of opinion.2 One might begin to move towards philosophising by investigating (1) what ‘good’ means and (2) what ‘fair’ means. Philosophical investigation might then reveal a contradiction between ‘good’ and ‘fair’ in real life situations, and understanding why and how it might not be good to be fair to everyone changes people’s judgements and then actions.3
