the philosopher shepherd. a « philosophical reading » of the album yakouba

Abstract

In teaching philosophy to children, I am concerned, first, with promoting a reflective approach to the text—one which, in the experimentations that we conduct, is capable of launching a properly philosophical effort, of which we judge children to be capable. The conversations that follow the reading are thus guided by the teacher through questions and according to specific needs. Leaving aside the question of the « desirable » (my work, grounded as it is in the pedagogy of Freinet, seeks a « natural method » in teaching philosophy), I am more interested here in the possible: what conditions make it possible for children of diverse ages to enter the realm of philosophizing? This implies two further questions: is a new way of understanding philosophizing possible outside the framework of the academy, which defines it as a university discipline? And if one grants the philosophical educability of children, how is one to define the philosophical character per se of a discussion among them? Keyowrds: Childhood; philosophical discussion; courage