the lesson

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12957/childphilo.2026.96276

Keywords:

fiction, discursive violence, oppression, control

Abstract

The following contribution is a work of fiction, submitted as a response to the call for papers for this dossier on ‘racism, colonialism and philosophy for /with children: praxis in non-ideal contexts’. Putatively written by the English-language philosopher A.M. Moskovitz (with an introductory note by Susan Lang), the story describes the ‘author’s’ childhood experience of a philosophy outreach programme. A stranger visits a classroom and enacts white forms of discursive violence upon the children with the perceived aim of oppression and control. The submission is followed by ‘uncomfortable meditations’, intended to stimulate thought and discussion.

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Author Biography

adam ferner, Independent Scholar

A.M. Moskovitz and Susan K. Lang are pseudonyms of the writer and researcher, Adam Ferner, who lives and works in London. He has written and co-authored several books including Think Differently (2018), Notes from the Crawl Room (Bloomsbury 2021), How to Disagree (with Darren Chetty, 2019), The Philosophers’ Library (with Chris Meyns, 2021), Unhappy Families (Acumen, 2024).

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Published

2026-02-28

Issue

Vol. 22 (2026)

Section

dossier: "racism, colonialism and philosophy for /with children: praxis in non-ideal contexts"

License

Copyright (c) 2026 adam ferner

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