Recent years have seen the passing of the three great pioneers in the Philosophy for Children (P4C) movement: Matthew Lipman (2010), Ann Margaret Sharp (2010), and Gareth Mathews (2011).  In appraising their monumental work and legacy, scholars have tended to focus solely on the impact Lipman, Sharp, and Matthews have had on educational philosophy and theory.  In addition to these areas of scholarly contribution, however, all three devoted considerable effort to the construction and reconstruction of the philosophical curriculum.  In this regard, Matthews experimented with short philosophical stories and offered interpretations of countless works by other authors in the light of his view that good literature provides children with the material for forming philosophical questions and dialogue, while Lipman and Sharp both pioneered the intentional use of the philosophical novel as a way of both initiating and teaching children to do philosophy in classroom settings.  But important questions remain about the philosophical novel for children, not only with regard to its function as the curricular centerpiece of P4C, but about the theory and practice of narrative in both education and philosophy, the location of the novel within the history of philosophy, and the future of the philosophical novel and curriculum in pre-college philosophy.

Lipman saw his own philosophical novels for children as “models of doing philosophy that are clear, practical, and specific.”  In this sense, teaching philosophy requires more than exposing students to its logical form—that is, it’s most distinctive and essential qualities—but also to its function and the circumstances of its emergence and practice.  Thus philosophical novels are a way of “dramatizing philosophy” that allow students to both recognize and assimilate its praxis.  This Lipmanian understanding of the philosophical role and its role in education has been celebrated and championed by some scholars (eg., De Marzio, Kennedy, et al), while criticized and tempered by others (eg., Murris, Hand, et al).  Given the diversity of current perspectives on the philosophical novel, the time is ripe for furthering the conversation on the history, theory, and prospect of this highly significant and contested area of philosophical and educational inquiry.

The Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children (IAPC) is calling for papers that explore the theoretical and pedagogical significance of the philosophical novel for children, to be presented at the IAPC group session of the 2013 American Philosophical Association Eastern Division Annual Meeting, December 27-30, in Baltimore, MD. Presented papers will also be considered as part of a proposal for an edited book collection published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Possible Topics Include:

• Theories and forms of narrative and narrativity that support and/or challenge the theory and practice of children’s philosophy

• The construction and/or reconstruction of the history of philosophy via the philosophical novel / stories

• The relationship between philosophical argument and philosophical narrative

• The question of whether philosophical novels are sufficient for the teaching of philosophy

• The philosophical novel / story as model of/for philosophical praxis

• Qualitative and/or quantitative research studies of philosophical novels

Electronic submissions are required and should be sent to Darryl De Marzio at darryl.demarzio[at]scranton.edu. Papers must be in MS Word (.doc) or Rich Text Format (.rtf). Papers may not exceed 3,000 words in length. Submissions should include a word count and 150 word abstract (not counted in total word count) on the title page. Papers should not contain any information identifying the author of the submission. In a separate title page document, please submit the following: title of the paper, abstract of the paper, author’s name, affiliation, e-mail address and phone number. Papers must be received by Wednesday, May 15, 2013.

• Finnes det en svart fisk som svømmer like fort som Svømme? (4)

• Hvorfor kjennes glassmaneter ut som gele? (11)

• Finnes det fisk som blir trukket av en usynlig tråd? (2)

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• Hvorfor var Svømme den eneste som var svart? (7)

• Hvor stor kan en tunfisk bli? (6)

• Hvordan kan vi svømme som en fisk når vi ikke blir trukket av en usynlig tråd? (0)

• Hvordan kan Svømme fly opp til øyet der han skal være? (3)

• Hvordan skal tunfisken spise oss? (2)

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• Hvorfor er Svømme raskere enn de andre? (8)

• Hvorfor skal en dukke være Svømme? (2)

• Skal de som ble spist være de samme som møter Svømme? (12)

• Hvorfor møter Svømme forskjellige dyr og ting? (0)

• Hvorfor er det slik at det som det er én av er en skygge? (2)

Montclair State University is considering a major reconstruction of the focus and the delivery of its Ed.D. in Pedagogy and Philosophy. The purpose of this survey is to gauge interest in the new program. We ask you to read the description below and answer the following questions. The survey should only take a few minutes to complete. Your responses will be completely anonymous, will not commit you to any further involvement and will not place your name on any email lists. We appreciate your help.

Montclair State University is now developing an Ed.D. in Pedagogical Studies. This program will be one of a very few in the country that is focused on philosophical and empirical research into three overlapping but distinct forms of democratic pedagogy: community of inquiry, critical pedagogy, and contemplative/existential practice. It will also offer in-state tuition for all out of state and international graduate students.

The innovative, hybrid delivery format will offer cohorts of students from around the world flexibility to remain educational practitioners in their communities while also completing a doctoral degree in philosophy, theory, and research. Seminars will be held online in a virtual environment, and each semester, students will be offered the opportunity to engage in week-long, intensive residencies in a variety of international settings where they will present their work in student conferences; meet with advisors and faculty to facilitate independent research; practice community of inquiry, critical pedagogy, and mindfulness; and attend lectures by local scholars, educators, and intellectuals.

Overall, an Ed.D. in Pedagogical Studies will provide a unique opportunity for those who wish to participate in the highest level of theoretical and empirical research, to apply that scholarship to the work of teacher education, and/or to integrate transformative and democratic pedagogical theories into their practices.

Graduates from the Ed.D. in Pedagogical Studies will be able to:

1) Bring together pedagogical practice and theory to become a philosophical educator, counselor, or consultant
2) Promote democracy and social justice through transformative approaches to education in a variety of settings
3) Understand educational issues within a global perspective
4) Develop the skills and dispositions necessary for conducting philosophical and empirical research into pedagogy and curriculum