Gareth B. Matthews, the child's philosopher PDF
Preview Gareth B. Matthews, the child's philosopher
“GarethMatthews’s workisimportant,both forphilosophersand for anyone interested in children and childhood. Subtle and profoundly insightful, it dis- plays the capacity of children for philosophical thinking, probes the philoso- phicalaspectsofchildren’s literature,articulatespracticesofSocratic teaching, and meditates about the concept of childhood. Now, in this superbly edited volume, his work, too little known, will assume its just place in the middle of important philosophical achievements of the twentieth century. The volume’s introductoryandcriticalessaysaddgreatlytoitsvalue.Congratulationsaredue toallinvolved.” Martha C. Nussbaum, Law School and Philosophy Department, The University of Chicago “When one hears the word philosophy, the word conjures up a subject that is difficult, abstruse, and not to be taught until the college or post-graduate level. Yet, philosophy provides not just a subject matter, but also a way of thinking that can provide razor-sharp reasoning, moral clarity, and unpar- alleled intellectual excitement. Gareth Matthews showed that all the excite- ment and intellectual benefits of studying philosophy could be shared not just with advanced students, but also with children from the elementary school level, onward. I recommend this book most highly to anyone who wants to learn about Matthews and how it became possible to share with children a world that could teach them how to think and how to live.” Robert J. Sternberg, Cornell University; Honorary Professor of Psychology, University of Heidelberg, Germany; author of The Nature of Intelligence and its Development in Childhood “A brilliant and imaginative book, which collects many of Gareth Matthews’ wonderful essays and frames them with original essays by expert scholars. Everyone interested in philosophy and childhood should read it, and philo- sophers not interested in childhood will be if they read it.” HarryBrighouse,MildredFishHarnackProfessorofPhilosophyandCarolDickson BascomProfessoroftheHumanities,UniversityofWisconsin-Madison;author ofEducationalGoods:ValuesandEvidenceinDecision-Making “There’s so much to appreciate in this new volume on Gareth B. Matthews, full of fascinating material by Matthews and his colleagues and beautifully book-ended by testimonials from Stanley Cavell and Jana Mohr Lone. But what I particularly admire (being a literature scholar by training) is the book’s focus on Matthews’ affirmation of children’s literature as a philoso- phical enterprise in its own right. Even more than the other founders of the philosophy for children movement, Matthews recognized and affirmed the “philosophical whimsy” in children’s literature—a narrative expression of wonder and perplexity that invites us all to think and dream. As this volume shows, Matthews’ understanding of children’s literature now permeates and inspires philosophical work with children. I learned so much from this engaging and beautifully designed book, and recommend it with much enthusiasm.” KennethB.Kidd,UniversityofFlorida;authorofTheoryforBeginners:Children’s LiteratureasCriticalThought “In the rich and exciting world of philosophers thinking about childhood— childrenasphilosophers,children’sliteratureasphilosophy,whatphilosophy can tell us about childhood, what children can bring to philosophy—few tower as tall as does Gareth B. Matthews, and many follow in the path that he blazed. To read Professor Matthews’ work on the interaction of philoso- phy and childhood is to enter a world that quickly reminds us what makes philosophy so wonderful and powerful. This collection of Professor Mat- thews’ writings, coupled with reflections on his enduring legacy written by some of the leading researchers and practitioners working in the philosophi- calareasatthecoreofmuchofProfessorMatthews’ownwrittenoutput,are a fitting tribute to his legacy. Maughn Rollins Gregory and Megan Jane Laverty are to be commended for putting together a compelling volume, which will hopefully spur more philosophers to see how well children and philosophyserveoneanotherandperhapseventoengageinworkthatbrings the two together.” KarenDetlefsen,ProfessorofPhilosophyandEducationattheUniversityofPennsylvania; editorofDescartes’Meditations:ACriticalGuideandco-editorof WomenandLiberty,1600-1800:PhilosophicalEssays “A rich and provocative volume that combines a range of Matthews’ influ- ential essays with critical new discussions of their importance. The result is a powerful demonstration that engaging questions of children and childhoods transforms philosophical thinking and practice. A perfect resource both for students and scholars new to Matthews and for anyone wishing to take the work he inspired to the next level.” JohnWall,ProfessorofPhilosophy,Religion,andChildhoodStudies,Rutgers University;authorofEthicsinLightofChildhoodandGiveChildrentheVote “GarethB.Matthews,TheChild’sPhilosopherwillbeaninvaluableresourcefor thosewithinterestinafinephilosopherwhomadecontributionsnotonlyto the history of philosophy, philosophy of religion and philosophy of mind, but also to the still emerging philosophy of childhood. Furthermore, Mat- thews’ work with children and educators clearly evinced significant respect for children and the power of even quite young children to raise and be interested in exploring major philosophical issues. This book makes the nature of that work very clear and powerfully combines Matthews’ own writings (on the Socratic elenchus, problems with deficit models of child- hood, and techniques for encouraging children to do philosophy, among other topics) with the reflections of a variety of contemporary thinkers (and onerecentlydeceased,long-timefriendandphilosopher,StanleyCavell)who appreciate and critique Matthews’ work. This book is highly recommended for those with an interest in the nature of childhood, the role of children’s literature in stimulating philosophical engagement, and the contributions thatchildren’sphilosophizingcanmaketofuturegenerationsofchildrenand adults alike.” AmyMullin,UniversityofToronto;authorofReconceivingPregnancyand Childcare:Ethics,ExperienceandReproductiveLabor “This excellent volume brings together Matthews’ scholarship on philosophy and children’s literature, philosophy of childhood, and children as philoso- phers. Also containing insightful contributions by his commentators and collaborators, this is an invaluable resource for philosophers writing on chil- dren and/or childhood, as well as for those who want to learn about philo- sophical work in this area. This rich collection would be a terrific text for an upper level or graduate class on philosophy and children and I predict itwill also be a vital research tool.” SamanthaBrennan,DeanoftheCollegeofArtsandProfessorofPhilosophy, UniversityofGuelph “The quality of a person’s thinking and being can partly be measured by the quality of what others create in response. This book bears remarkable wit- ness to a remarkable person. Whilst the collection of Matthews’ writings speaks powerfully for itself, the editors have brought out the best in con- structive criticism from their colleagues, to create a perfect combination of a historyofideasandacelebrationofdevelopingpractice.P4Chasbeengoing for over 50 years now, and the Philosophy for Children Founders series shows that it has both sound roots and fruitful branches, not least in the continu- ing reconceptualization of childhood, philosophy, and education. There is stillalongwaytogobeforethequalities ofMatthewsand otherfoundersof P4C are fully appreciated, let alone translated into a more philosophical and playful educational system. But this book is a bridge into the next 50 years, duringwhichourspecieswilleitherresowtheseedsofhumanephilosophyor reap the shrivelled fruits of technocratic implants.” RogerSutcliffe,co-founderofDialogueWorks,P4C.com,andtheSocietyforthe AdvancementofPhilosophicalEnquiryandReflectioninEducation(SAPERE); authorofThinkingMovesA-Z:MetacognitionMadeSimple “A penetrating extension and enrichment of the conversations about chil- dren, childhood, children’s literature, and philosophy that Gareth B. Mat- thews pioneered so brilliantly decades ago. Invaluable for anyone fascinated by the philosophical thinking of children and how best to engage with, and benefit from it. Rich and rewarding!” ClaudiaMills,children’sbookauthorandemeritaprofessorofphilosophy, UniversityofColorado,Boulder ’ Gareth B. Matthews, The Child s Philosopher Gareth B. Matthews, The Child’s Philosopher brings together groundbreaking essays by renownedAmericanphilosopherGarethB.Matthewsinthreefieldshehelpedtoinitiate: philosophyinchildren’sliterature,philosophyforchildren,andphilosophyofchildhood.In addition,contemporaryscholarscriticallyassessMatthews’pioneeringeffortsandhislegacy. Gareth B. Matthews (1929–2011) was a specialist in ancient and medieval philosophy whohadconversationswithyoungchildren,discoveringthattheydelightinphilosophical puzzlement and that their philosophical thinking often enriched his own understanding. ThoseconversationsbecametheimpetusforasubstantialcomponentofMatthews’scho- larship, from which this book features essays spanning the length of his career. Con- temporary contributors to the book critically evaluate Matthews’ scholarship, showing where he broke new ground and identifying developments and debates in the fields he helpedtoinitiate.Theytakeuppressingchallenges,includingbiasedidealizationsofchild- hoodinchildren’sliterature;thetensionsbetweenteachingphilosophyto,anddoingphi- losophywith,youngpeople;themeritsoftheorizingchildhoodwithouttheorizingchildren; andhowprofessionalphilosophyatoncedesiresandresistsareturntochildhood. ThissecondvolumeinthePhilosophyforChildrenFoundersseriesisanimportantresource for philosophers, educators, and anyone interested in children’s philosophical thinking, developmental psychology, what it means to philosophize with children, the nature of childhood,andhowchildren’sliteraturegoesphilosophical.Itwillguideandinspirethose whoshareMatthews’convictionthattheimpulsetophilosophizebeginsinearlychildhood. Contributors (in addition to Gareth B. Matthews): Stephanie Burdick-Shepherd, CristinaCammarano,ClaireCassidy,StanleyCavell,MaughnRollinsGregory,Jennifer Glaser, Walter Omar Kohan, Megan Jane Laverty, Jana Mohr Lone, Karin Murris, PeterShea,SusanM.Turner,SusannahSheffer. Maughn Rollins Gregory is Professor of Educational Foundations at Montclair State University, USA. Together with Megan Jane Laverty, he edits the Philosophy for Children Founders series, including In Community with Ann Margaret Sharp: Childhood, Philosophy andEducation(Routledge,2017). Megan Jane Laverty is Associate Professor of Philosophy andEducation at Teachers Col- lege, Columbia University, USA. Together with Maughn Rollins Gregory, she edits the PhilosophyforChildrenFoundersseries,includingInCommunitywithAnnMargaretSharp: Childhood,PhilosophyandEducation(Routledge,2017). Philosophy for Children Founders Series editors: Maughn Rollins Gregory, Montclair State University, USA Megan Jane Laverty Teachers College, Columbia University, USA Philosophy for Children Founders offers a critical reassessment of the work of the founders of philosophy for children—a movement encompassing all approaches to the philosophical practice of children and adolescents—in light of developments insideandoutsidethatmovement.Withinthespanoffiftyyears,philosophicalprac- tice for children and adolescents has become a global, multi-disciplinary movement involving innovations in curriculum, pedagogy and educational theory; in moral, socialandpoliticalphilosophy;andindiscourseandliterarytheory.Ithasevengiven birth to a new academic field: philosophy of childhood. Contemporary scholars, educators and practitioners are engaged in robust debates, not only about how to research and practice philosophy with children and adolescents, but also about the verymeaningsofphilosophy,childhood,andeducation.Thesedebatesinvolvecon- testedreadingsofthemovement’shistoryandechodifferencesthataroseamongits earlyproponents.PhilosophyforChildrenFoundersseeksnottoresolvethesedebates but to inform them with a historical perspective on the internal complexity of the movement’scentralconcepts,theories,andpractices. Each book in the series provides a single-source, critical anthology of the work of one founder of philosophy for children. The books are organized in thematic sections given to the founders’ most important scholarly and pedagogical innova- tions. Each section is introduced by a contemporary scholar who critically evalu- ates the founder’s work in a particular area and who has selected the essays to be reprinted in that section. The introduction to each book combines a biographical sketch with an assessment of the founder’s influence in the movement. In Community of Inquiry with Ann Margaret Sharp Childhood, Philosophy and Education Maughn Rollins Gregory and Megan Jane Laverty Gareth B. Matthews, The Child’s Philosopher Maughn Rollins Gregory and Megan Jane Laverty Formoreinformationaboutthisseries,pleasevisit:https://www.routledge.com/ Philosophy-for-Children-Founders/book-series/P4CF Gareth B. Matthews, The ’ Child s Philosopher Edited by Maughn Rollins Gregory and Megan Jane Laverty Firstpublished2022 byRoutledge 2ParkSquare,MiltonPark,Abingdon,OxonOX144RN andbyRoutledge 605ThirdAvenue,NewYork,NY10158 RoutledgeisanimprintoftheTaylor&FrancisGroup,aninformabusiness ©2022selectionandeditorialmatter,MaughnRollinsGregoryandMegan JaneLaverty;individualchapters,thecontributors TherightofMaughnRollinsGregoryandMeganJaneLavertytobeidentified astheauthorsoftheeditorialmaterial,andoftheauthorsfortheirindividual chapters,hasbeenassertedinaccordancewithsections77and78ofthe Copyright,DesignsandPatentsAct1988. Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereprintedorreproducedor utilisedinanyformorbyanyelectronic,mechanical,orothermeans,now knownorhereafterinvented,includingphotocopyingandrecording,orinany informationstorageorretrievalsystem,withoutpermissioninwritingfromthe publishers. Trademarknotice:Productorcorporatenamesmaybetrademarksorregistered trademarks,andareusedonlyforidentificationandexplanationwithoutintent toinfringe. BritishLibraryCataloguing-in-PublicationData AcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData Acatalogrecordhasbeenrequestedforthisbook ISBN:978-1-138-34273-6(hbk) ISBN:978-1-032-04064-6(pbk) ISBN:978-0-429-43959-9(ebk) DOI:10.4324/9780429439599 TypesetinGalliard byTaylor&FrancisBooks Contents List of contributors xiv Series Editors’ Introduction xvii MAUGHNROLLINSGREGORYANDMEGANJANELAVERTY Acknowledgements xix Gareth B. Matthews: A philosopher’s life with children 1 MEGANJANELAVERTYANDMAUGHNROLLINSGREGORY Time and place for philosophy 29 STANLEYCAVELL PARTI Gareth B. Matthews on philosophy and children’s literature 39 1 Age-transgressive philosophizing with children’s literature 41 KARINMURRIS 2 Philosophy and children’s literature 60 GARETHB.MATTHEWS 3 The philosophical imagination in children’s literature 68 GARETHB.MATTHEWS 4 Thinking in stories 78 GARETHB.MATTHEWS The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery 78 Not Now, Bernard by David McKee 79 The Mountains of Tibet by Mordecai Gerstein 81 PARTII Gareth B. Matthews on children’s philosophical thinking 85
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