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The Philosophy of Childhood

The Philosophy of Childhood

by Gareth Matthews (Author)

  • New

    Paperback 1996

    $40.52
Synopsis

The Philosophy of Childhood is an account of children's philosophical potential and of childhood as an area of philosophical inquiry. Seeking a philosophy that represents the range and depth of children's inquisitive minds, Matthews explores both how children think and how we, as adults, think about them. His book should prompt us to reconsider the distinctions we make about development and the competencies of mind, and what we lose by denying childhood its full philosophical potential.

$40.52

Quantity

20+ in stock

More Information

Format: Paperback
 Pages: 136
 Edition: Reprint
 Publisher: Harvard University Press
Published: 30 Sep 1996
ISBN 10: 0674664817
ISBN 13: 9780674664814

Media Reviews
Matthews' guided dialogues with children show that they consistently and happily develop philosophical trains of thought, evaluate those of others, and try to think things through, often reaching solutions that are essentially the ones propounded by the big people who are lucky enough to be paid for doing it...With careful listening and without distorting preconceptions about what children might or might not be capable of doing, Mr. Matthews has unearthed a seam of would-be wisdom. His open-minded attention to the way children's minds work has also yielded a new concept of childhood intelligence that may bear on the question of children's rights, children's art and the status of literature for children. He argues that the philosophy of childhood should be a respectable branch of philosophy, like the philosophy of science or the philosophy of law. This strikes me as too modest a goal. Mr. Matthews' incisive investigations into the relations between the world of children and the world of adults are too thought-provoking to be confined to one branch of one academic subject...He subjects Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development and Lawrence Kohlberg's theory of moral development to simple and searching criticisms that make his book essential reading for anybody interested in early childhood education. --Anthony Gottlieb, New York Times Book Review

The mind of the child...concerns Gareth Matthews' eloquent and thoughtful essays in The Philosophy of Childhood.. .In this book he raises a question...Do the philosophical sensibilities of children have any serious value? Or are they of no value because they come from immature minds? Matthews' view is that children's philosophicalinterests are not only valuable and profound but also are sadly perishable...[He] writes that adults who would do philosophy have much to learn from children. --David Mehegan, Boston Globe

A stimulating work, worthy of attention. --Nicholas Tucker, Times Educational Supplement

The Philosophy of Childhood is an attractive and thought-provoking work which also opens up territory which has seldom, if ever, been explored, for example, on childhood amnesia and childhood and death...[T]he work merits the serious study of both philosophers and students in such more practical professional fields as education and child psychology. --David Carr, Philosophical Quarterly

This is a very interesting book written in a clear and straightforward style suitable for the layman and beginner as well as the professional philosopher...It is essentially about human rights, and insofar as it addresses the issue of the childlike nature of engaging in philosophy itself, it will surely contain something of interest for all philosophers. -- The Philosopher

[Matthews] illustrates his thesis with poignant and incisive vignettes. His is a compelling argument for establishing the philosophy of childhood as an academic area of inquiry in which to explore how children think, listen, and reason. This interesting, readable book should appeal to anyone who works with children. --John J. DeFrancesco, Ph.D., Readings: A Journal of Reviews and Commentary in Mental Health


Matthews' guided dialogues with children show that they consistently and happily develop philosophical trains of thought, evaluate those of others, and try to think things through, often reaching solutions that are essentially the ones propounded by the big people who are lucky enough to be paid for doing it...With careful listening and without distorting preconceptions about what children might or might not be capable of doing, Mr. Matthews has unearthed a seam of would-be wisdom. His open-minded attention to the way children's minds work has also yielded a new concept of childhood intelligence that may bear on the question of children's rights, children's art and the status of literature for children. He argues that the philosophy of childhood should be a respectable branch of philosophy, like the philosophy of science or the philosophy of law. This strikes me as too modest a goal. Mr. Matthews' incisive investigations into the relations between the world of children and the world of adults are too thought-provoking to be confined to one branch of one academic subject...He subjects Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development and Lawrence Kohlberg's theory of moral development to simple and searching criticisms that make his book essential reading for anybody interested in early childhood education. --Anthony Gottlieb, New York Times Book Review

The mind of the child...concerns Gareth Matthews' eloquent and thoughtful essays in The Philosophy of Childhood.. .In this book he raises a question...Do the philosophical sensibilities of children have any serious value? Or are they of no value because they come from immature minds? Matthews' view is thatchildren's philosophical interests are not only valuable and profound but also are sadly perishable... He writes that adults who would do philosophy have much to learn from children. --David Mehegan, Boston Globe

A stimulating work, worthy of attention. --Nicholas Tucker, Times Educational Supplement

The Philosophy of Childhood is an attractive and thought-provoking work which also opens up territory which has seldom, if ever, been explored, for example, on childhood amnesia and childhood and death... T he work merits the serious study of both philosophers and students in such more practical professional fields as education and child psychology. --David Carr, Philosophical Quarterly

This is a very interesting book written in a clear and straightforward style suitable for the layman and beginner as well as the professional philosopher...It is essentially about human rights, and insofar as it addresses the issue of the childlike nature of engaging in philosophy itself, it will surely contain something of interest for all philosophers. -- The Philosopher

Matthews illustrates his thesis with poignant and incisive vignettes. His is a compelling argument for establishing the philosophy of childhood as an academic area of inquiry in which to explore how children think, listen, and reason. This interesting, readable book should appeal to anyone who works with children. --John J. DeFrancesco, Ph.D., Readings: A Journal of Reviews and Commentary in Mental Health