Why Teaching Philosophy to Children Matters w/Jana Mohr Lone

Many believe that philosophy is a niche activity of adult intellectuals. This view perpetuates a misconception, that children are incapable of deep and profound thinking about the world. The reality is that children naturally “do” philosophy all the time. They ask questions, wrestle with moral decisions, wonder about the nature of the universe, challenge authority, and even seek to understand suffering and death. If our society could foster this innate curiosity and a child’s willingness to wrestle with life’s biggest and most important questions we could transform our world in profound ways because philosophical inquiry opens our minds, nurtures humble curiosity, promotes empathy with other perspectives, and creates deep and profound meaning. If adults embraced the responsibility to ensure this kind of philosophy thrives in our children, we could powerfully transform our communities.

Dr. Jana Mohr Lone holds a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Massachusetts, a J.D. from George Washington University Law School, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Washington. Jana is currently an Affiliate Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Washington, and the director and co-founder of PLATO (Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization). Jana is the founding editor-in-chief of the journal, Questions: Philosophy for Young People, co-author (with Michael D. Burroughs) of the textbook, Philosophy in Education: Questioning and Dialogue in Schools (2016), co-editor (with Roberta Israeloff) of Philosophy and Education: Introducing Philosophy to Young People (2012), and author of The Philosophical Child (2012) and Seen and Not Heard (2021).