'Teach philosophy in primary schools,' says Professor Angie Hobbs
Professor
Angie Hobbs believes just one philosophy class a week would benefit
children’s intellectual and social development. Naomi Ackerman reports
“If
we leave questioning the models children have been taught until later
in life, it could be too late," warns Professor Angie Hobbs. "That is
why we need to start teaching philosophy in primary school.”
By this
the professor means that children should be taught from a young age that
there are other ways of seeing the world to the one they are exposed to
by their family and social circle.
It's a pertinent and timely point
to make, especially considering the current debate around the risk of
'radicalisation' facing young people.
Hobbs is currently the only
professor of public understanding of philosophy in the world. She
believes that just one philosophy class a week could benefit children’s
intellectual and social development.
Her department at the University
of Sheffield – along with organisations such as The Philosophy
Foundation – are currently pioneering the teaching of ancient Greek
philosophy in UK primary schools.
Hobbs has taught Plato and
Heraclitus to classes of seven-year-olds and says that "children respond
very well to fundamental questions, such as 'What makes me, me? What is
time? Does nothing exist?”.
She tells me that, in her experience,
children love Zeno's paradox 'the moving arrow is motionless' or the
Cretan liar paradox. "I tell them ‘I always lie’, and then ask ‘am I
lying now?’” she says.
Learning ancient Greek philosophy at a young
age taps into children’s “natural curiosity, their imaginative and
intellectual zest”. Hobbs says that the natural ability children have to
imagine other worlds and leap through time – the reason for their love
of books such as Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings – is the same
ability needed to grasp Plato.
Hobbs thinks philosophy is “a greatly underused resource in the UK” and is critical of the government’s education policy.
“Some
of those in Government – and not just Michael Gove in his former role –
have said that primary education should mainly be about the acquisition
of facts and knowledge, and that children can ask questions later. I
think this is wrong.”
Interest in philosophy is growing, however.
Only this month, Hobbs received over 1,000 enquiries from listeners
after appearing on Desert Island Discs.
In a country with
increasingly diverse classrooms, Hobbs also believes having debates on
Greek philosophy in primary schools can help build bridges of
understanding between children from different backgrounds:
“Ancient
Greek philosophy is a shared cultural resource and it belongs to all of
us. It is great to use with primary school kids because, although some
Greek philosophers were religious, they were not espousing modern
religious ideology, so you can get a class of mixed or no faith kids and
tackle these big questions in an inclusive way.
“Studying Greek
philosophy will show them from a very early age that it is good to ask
questions. It helps protect them from all sorts of indoctrination – from
religious and political extremists, from gangs, even from their
teachers,” she explains.
Studying these philosophical concepts can
also help children cope with the choices and challenges life presents
them with, Hobbs argues.
“Studying philosophy can get children to
understand that there are lots of different ways of thinking, being,
living and seeing the world,” she says.
Hobbs is certain there can
even be distinct therapeutic benefits to studying philosophy. For
example, exploring the ancient Greek Stoics’ theories on accepting loss
of control and change can help young children gain “a robustness” and a
sense that it is normal not to be happy all the time.
I ask Hobbs
which books make the best springboard for children exploring philosophy
at home: "I have to say now that I have a vested interest in The
Philosophy Shop as I am a contributor," she laughs, "but it is a great
book and is filled with puzzles, stories and activities."
