spontaneous eloquence... the result of teaching children philosophy in a community of inquiry.

written and compiled by Benjamin Zenk illustrated by Dayva Keolanui

Philosophy for Children. P4C. A philosophers pedagogy. A childs perplexity and wonder. P4C is a community of inquiry, not simply a community. A community is a collection of subjects existing together, subjects whose narrati es flourish around a set of shared experiences. ! ery community culti ates and utili"es a unique set of symbols # body language, spo$en language, written language, religious structures, media, images, social customs, personae, etc. # all corresponding to its shared experiences. %ence, there is a &astafarian community, a hipster community, a 'ni ersity of %awaii community, a ja"" community, ad infinitum # some groups o erlap. (hese symbol sets allow us to na igate through our worlds with con iction, confidence, faith, and understanding. P4C is different. P4C allows that, in opposition to communities, e ery indi idual hails from an insurmountably distant place) the self. (here is *+,, and there is *(hou,, the self and the other. (hat boundary, by most accounts, is ultimate, an impasse. (he result) no two persons ha e identical experiences corresponding to the symbols they ha e acquired to express those experiences. -hat a terrible position. /ust we fore er be misunderstood0 (hat we are oursel es but not others is the cause of misunderstandings, exclusions, e en interpersonal and inter1communal hatred. P4C, and more importantly all inquiry1based philosophy, fosters the de elopment of communities that reflect on this ery structure, allowing for interpersonal, inter1communal insight and understanding.

/embership in a P4C inquiry is not simply presence in a P4C setting2 it is not passi e in its membership. +t is not a collection of parts) children 3students4, a teacher 3co1inquirer4, and a community ball. 5or does it champion a set of symbols and narrati es that resist change. Although it utili"es a set of symbols to define itself clearly, these symbols are not necessary ones # questioning their legitimacy is welcomed # and thus a community of inquiry is not a fundamentalist community. P4C is not yet a formed community in the con entional sense of the term. +t is always becoming itself, a community of inquiring dialogue between and among subjects with incorrigibly idiosyncratic symbol sets. +n this community, familiarity with each members symbols is continuously culti ated. (he result is an e er1emerging shared narrati e. (he community is constantly, self1reflecti ely, coming to terms with itself and each of its members. (ruth is ne er finali"ed in P4C. +n many ways, P4C is a critique of such cultural certainty. (ruth does not stagnate, it is constantly renewed. And occasionally, in brief moments of clarity, a gem appears. -ords, resonating to the depths of each subject present, sail out into the communitys shared space and for a brief, li ing, breathing moment, they are seen clearly by all members. (his phenomenon is the incorporation of raw thought into familiar linguistic structures, and it comes from children and adults ali$e. +ts spontaneous eloquence.

(eaching... 6e a guide on the side, not a sage on stage.

...children... 7ne of the things adults do to children is ma$e assumptions about them.

...philosophy... Philosophy doesnt sol e problems, it re eals them.

...in a community... A community is li$e a band or an orchestra, but theres no need to end on the same note.

...of inquiry. !ngaging in inquiry is li$e pushing in a clutch. 7ur motors still running, but it isnt turning our wheels. -ere loo$ing for the right gear.