Date of Award

4-1998

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Philosophy

First Advisor

Dr. Michael S. Pritchard

Second Advisor

Sylvia Culp

Third Advisor

Kent Baldner

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Campus Only

Abstract

It is the purpose of this paper to support the belief in children's philosophical abilities and to promote the position that philosophy belongs in the classroom before the college years. Furthermore, this paper will illustrate that children are not only capable of contributing to philosophical inquiry, but will be more prone to flourish in their studies in and out of the classroom because of this interaction. They will develop more of the skills needed for responsible, reasonable adulthood from philosophical lesson plans than they would from lesson plans lacking a philosophic focus.

In addition to the program and materials set forth by the Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children, the IAPC, this paper will focus on children's literature, specifically environmental literature, and its ability to be connected to a school's science curriculum. This combination of environmental literature and the current science lesson plans is one of the most viable avenues to introduce philosophy into the classroom.

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