Philosophy for Young Children

Berys Gaut is Professor of Philosophy at the University of St Andrews, UK.Morag Gaut is a teacher at Anstruther Primary School, Fife, UK.

• Introduction 1. Political Philosophy: Fairness and Rules * The Teddy Bears’ Picnic – Fairness: Equality versus Need * Gavin Builds a Sandpit – Fairness and Refusing to Help * The Animal Snack – Sharing Fairly and Prudence * School Rules – Obeying the Rules 2. Environmental Philosophy: Green Land, Waste and Recycling * Greenhill Village – Use of Green Land * Emerald the Elephant – Wasting Water * Benny the Bin – Recycling 3. Social Philosophy: Friends and Relationships * Teddy’s Friends – Characteristics of a Good Friend * William and Arthur – Friendship and Sharing * Emma and Sally – Cooperation * Maisie the Sheep – Being Different from Others * Big Teddy’s New School – Inclusion 4. Ethics: Virtues and Vices * Sam’s Kind Day – Kindness * Kirsty – Telling the Truth * The Magic Words – Saying Thank You * Teddy Scrooge – Giving Presents * The Selfish Hippo – Selfishness * Charlotte the Lazy Caterpillar – Laziness * Pancake the Greedy Rabbit – Greed 5. Aesthetics: Beauty, Pictures and Stories * Beautiful Things – Beauty * Cats – Photographs and Drawings * A Walk on the Beach – Fantasy and Realistic Stories * The Cave Monster – Enjoying Scary Stories 6. Philosophy of Mind: Emotions, Beliefs and Persons * Patch and his Friends – Anger * Rabbit and Mouse – Fear * Happy Suzy – Happiness * Sad Teddy – Sadness * Andy’s Accident – Pain * Giants – Pretending and Believing * Isaac the Robot – Persons * 7. Epistemology: Dreams and Illusions * Milly’s Bad Dream – Things in Dreams Do Not Really Happen * Dreaming of School – Are You Dreaming Now? * A Stick in the Water – Visual Illusions * 8. Metaphysics: What is Real? * Angus the Cat – Do the Animals in a Story Really Exist? * Numbers – Are Numbers Real? * Theseus’s Ship – When are Things the Same? Further Reading

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