In the coming days, I will be writing about connections to the British Columbia curricular competencies in various subject areas. Today, however, I want to talk about a specific critique of P4C pedagogy: that a philosophy background is required to successfully implement this approach.
We are not all philosophers; I am not a philosopher in the strict sense. But in another, really important sense, we are all philosophers. Philosophy comes from the Greek (no surprise there) for “love of wisdom.” A philosopher, then, can be any person who loves, or values, wisdom.
The most important prerequisite for teaching using P4C, in my opinion, is a thirst for knowledge and wisdom, and a desire to share it with others. There is another critical ingredient, however. A colleague of mine once asked me what the most important attributes of a philosopher were. I could only think of one: humility.
Perhaps wisdom…is realizing how small I am, and unwise, and how far I have yet to go.”
Anthony Bourdain
Humility is critical for teaching P4C because without it a teacher might think they are intellectually or philosophically superior to their students; this attitude is wrong, and damaging. I conceive of the role of the teacher in the P4C classroom as primus inter pares, or first among equals. We are there to facilitate, to lead, and to guide, but not to tell, or dictate, or lecture. The teacher who lacks intellectual and philosophical humility lacks the ability to successfully lead a P4C lesson; the teacher who respects their limitations, respects the contributions of students, and who is open to diverse opinions, perspectives, and voices has every chance to succeed.
But where does one start? For the uninitiated, it could be intimidating. While some sources recommend taking a course (p4c.com recommends this tack), I do not believe this is necessary. If I had to recommend one book to provide an introduction to philosophy for those interested in teaching P4C, I would recommend Plato’s Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, and Phaedo. These demonstrate the Socratic method of interlocution which is to be modeled in the P4C classroom, and also provide a window into the type of philosophical thinking that is possible in the classroom.
For example, in the Crito, Socrates declines an opportunity to escape from jail because, even though he feels his conviction was unjust, he feels he must follow the laws of Athens because he had not protested them in the past (before they negatively affected him). This example has clear implications for social justice today. What is the role of the justice system? Are there unjust laws? Where does justice come from? What is the role of the state? If democratic governments derive their power from the people, what does that mean for peoples’ role in democratic governments?
Overall, I don’t believe P4C teaching requires a philosophy background. A foundation of curiosity and humility together with some background reading and research can provide teachers with more than enough to succeed. It is not about being the expert in the room; rather, it is about helping students realize the breadth and depth of the world around them and inside of them.
Resources:
Plato’s Five Dialogues (hard copy): https://www.amazon.ca/Five-Dialogues-Plato/dp/0872206335
Plato’s Five Dialogues (PDF): http://files.libertyfund.org/files/766/Plato_0131-02_EBk_v6.0.pdf
P4C Teacher’s Intro: https://p4c.com/about-p4c/teachers-guide/
Philosophy Circles (teacher resource – book): https://www.thephilosophyman.com/product/philosophy-circles-handbook
Philosophy for Children in the British Columbia Classroom 