Why Philosophy for Young People?

WHAT IS PLATO?

PLATO’s mission is to introduce preK-12 students to the joys and rigors of philosophy, helping to prepare them for 21st-century challenges.

Our innovative educational programs serve thousands of students, teachers, and parents nationally and internationally, with an emphasis on reaching students in underserved classrooms and communities. PLATO’s programs foster critical thinking, tolerance and understanding of diverse viewpoints, self-confidence, reasoning skills, and much more.

Offering philosophy to young people, and especially those whose voices historically have been marginalized, brings needed new perspectives to philosophy and to the humanities. For many years we have run free “Philosophers in the Schools” and family programs in areas in Seattle most impacted by racism and injustice. We have worked hard to ensure diverse representation is a high priority at our High School Ethics Bowl.

Our funding program, which supports innovative educational programs around the US, as well as our open access publications, free online resources, and extensive financial assistance for fee-based programs are grounded in our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity. We believe that every student deserves access to philosophy and to conversations that matter to them.

“I learned about ways to engage my own beliefs and really think about why I had those ideas, what else did I believe in or not believe in, how did my experience shape my beliefs – the things we did in class let me become more aware of how I was thinking about my thinking.”
– High School Philosophy Student

Why Philosophy?
WONDER AND CURIOSITY
We are born curious. Children wonder if dreams are real, where the sky ends, why we die. 
 
We don’t think of these questions as philosophical, but they are.
 
• Six-year-olds ask, “Is it fair that she got three pieces of candy and I only got one?” 
• Philosophers ask, “What is fairness?” 
 
These questions, though one is more abstract, are the same.    
 
Philosophy doesn’t happen only in colleges and universities; it is alive within all of us, beginning early in our lives.    
 
The United States is one of the few countries in the world that does not require philosophy to be taught, even in high school. As a result, many educators, students, and parents are not aware of its value. 
 
Conversations about their deeper questions are important for young people because they provide an avenue for reasoned reflection. These questions don’t have settled and final answers, removing the pressure to find that “one right answer” that students so often face in school. This creates an open and receptive environment for examining difficult topics thoughtfully and imaginatively.
Philosophy is Practical – and Relevant

Philosophy teaches us to:

  • Sharpen our reading, writing, listening, and problem-solving skills
  • Think deeply about our beliefs, commitments, and values
  • Question our assumptions
  • Construct creative and well-reasoned arguments
  • Critically evaluate information and beliefs
  • Appreciate complexity 
  • Recognize our biases and acknowledge that there are many ways to see the world.  

These are important tools for students of all ages.

Perhaps most important, philosophy fosters social and emotional growth, independent thinking, and positive self-esteem in children and teens.

The Pleasures of Philosophy

In classrooms that engage in “communities of philosophical inquiry,” teachers and students inquire together. Students generate their own questions about issues relevant to their lives. Everyone has an equal voice and all opinions are taken seriously. Students are encouraged to give good reasons for their beliefs.  

Students find these discussions challenging and compelling because the questions that arise are open-ended, with no settled answers. They realize that they are engaged in a conversation that has been going on for thousands of years. No one has all the answers – and sometimes, reaching an answer isn’t as important as asking better questions.

This humility in the face of uncertainty helps us become more compassionate and tolerant – of others and of ourselves.

Not every young student will become a professional philosopher, writing books and teaching in the academy. But all students should have the opportunity to cultivate the philosophical habits of mind that nurture lifelong learning, and encourage us to become more thoughtful and responsible friends, neighbors, and citizens.

“It doesn’t frustrate me that we don’t have the answers to these questions. I like hearing what other people think about them, because there are so many different ways people think about things. That’s what’s great about philosophy, you realize that everyone sees things so differently.”
— Fourth grade student