An Introduction to philosophy for children Hawai‘i

Welcome to Philosophy 492!  In this class you will learn about the theory and practice of the philosophy for children Hawai‘i (p4cHI) approach to education.

At the very outset, it is important to note that p4cHI is NOT a program, a quick fix, or a bag of tricks.  Rather, it is a pedagogical approach and, even more deeply, a way of being.  p4cHI is adaptable and evolves in varying ways in varying times and places.  It takes different forms from culture to culture, school to school, and even individual teacher to individual teacher.

The implication of this is that this class is NOT about discovering the "right" way to see and do p4cHI.  There is no such single, right way.  Instead, this class is about joining in a conversation, taking in new ideas, making them your own, and, in the process of doing so, constructing your own distinct, vibrant, and ever-evolving understanding.

My understanding of p4cHI today isn't exactly the same as it was when I made these audio and video recordings a half dozen years ago.  Through dialogue I grew.  Similarly, it is my hope that our time together will help all of us to continue our journeys in our own unique ways.  I'm looking forward to learning with you and learning from you!

Welcome to our course!

Aloha,

Toby