PHIL 361 Philosophy and Children
Philosophical curiosity begins in childhood: Where do words come from? Can trees think? What is love? At the heart of this course, Occidental students will have the opportunity to teach philosophy to elementary students at a local school. Doing so provides both an opportunity to serve the local community, an opportunity to reconnect with our own philosophical impulses, and a chance to reflect deeply on a variety of philosophical topics (such as friendship, courage, minds, justice). Occidental students will develop and teach their own lesson plans. Students in the class will also gain familiarity with philosophical views on young children and the nature of education, e.g. What status should children have in our society? Should children always be subservient to adults? How might our educational practices develop or stifle our creative natures? This course satisfies the Experiential Learning requirement for the philosophy major.