SOCRATES IN THE CLASSROOM Rationales and Effects of Philosophizing with Children Ann S. Pihlgren Socrates in the Classroom Rationales and Effects of Philosophizing with Children Ann S. Pihlgren Stockholm University ©Ann S. Pihlgren, Stockholm 2008 Cover: Björn S. Eriksson ISSN 1104-1625-146 ISBN (978-91-7155-598-4) Printed in Sweden by Elanders Sverige AB Distributor: Stockholm University, Department of Education To Kjell with love and gratitude. Contents Contents ........................................................................................................ vii Preface ............................................................................................................ 1 1 Introduction ............................................................................................ 3 1.1 Philosophizing and teaching ethics ..................................................................... 4 1.2 Some guidance for the reader ............................................................................ 5 1.3 Considerations ................................................................................................... 8 2 Research Goals and Design .................................................................. 9 2.1 Classroom interaction ......................................................................................... 9 2.2 Studying Socratic interaction ............................................................................ 10 2.3 Research questions .......................................................................................... 10 2.4 Research design and data collection ................................................................ 11 2.4.1 The literature review .............................................................................. 11 2.4.2 The seminar study ................................................................................. 12 2.5 Ethical considerations....................................................................................... 18 2.6 Validity and reliability ........................................................................................ 19 SECTION I Literature on Socratic Interlocution Review and Analysis .......... 23 3 Catching the Spirit of Socratic Dialogue .............................................. 25 4 Dialogues as Maieutike ........................................................................ 27 4.1 The allegory of Socrates ................................................................................... 27 4.1.1 Socrates and the voice of Plato ............................................................. 28 4.2 Dialogues as elenchus, maieutike and aporia .................................................. 30 4.2.1 Socratic ignorance and knowledge ........................................................ 30 4.2.2 Events in Socrates’ interlocutions .......................................................... 31 4.2.3 Teaching by elenchus ............................................................................ 31 4.2.4 Dialogic “rules” of conduct ..................................................................... 32 4.2.5 The role of Socrates’ questioner ............................................................ 33 4.2.6 Socrates: the gadfly, the midwife and the stingray ................................. 34 4.3 Socratic dialogue in Platonic pedagogy ............................................................ 35 4.4 Perplexity and virtues in Aristotelian pedagogy ................................................ 35 4.4.1 Aristotle’s habits, virtues and practical wisdom ...................................... 36 5 Progressive Education and Dialogue as Education in Democracy ..... 38 5.1 Progressive education ...................................................................................... 38 5.2 Freinet and dialogue in community meetings ................................................... 39 5.3 John Dewey and dialogues as recitations ......................................................... 40 5.3.1 Deliberative democracy ......................................................................... 41 6 Dialogue as Folkbildning-Swedish Popular Education ........................ 42 6.1 Bildning ............................................................................................................ 42 6.2 Swedish popular education .............................................................................. 44 6.2.1 The ideas of Hans Larsson, Ellen Key, and Oscar Olsson ..................... 45 6.3 The methods of dialogue as study circle ........................................................... 46 6.3.1 The circle leader .................................................................................... 47 6.3.2 The goals and functions of the circle ...................................................... 47 6.4 The methods of dialogues as discussions ........................................................ 48 6.4.1 “Rules” and steps of the discussion ....................................................... 49 7 Dialogue as Das Sokratische Gespräch .............................................. 50 7.1 Leonard Nelson and das Sokratische Gespräch ............................................... 50 7.2 The methods of das Sokratische Gespräch ...................................................... 51 7.2.1 The role of the teacher ........................................................................... 51 7.2.2 Demands on the student ........................................................................ 51 7.2.3 The steps of das Sokratische Gespräch ................................................ 52 8 Dialogues as Great Conversation ........................................................ 53 8.1 Mortimer J. Adler and Robert M. Hutchins ........................................................ 53 8.2 Dialogues as shared inquiry ............................................................................. 56 8.2.1 The methodology of shared inquiry ........................................................ 57 8.2.2 “Rules” in shared inquiry ........................................................................ 58 8.2.3 The steps of shared inquiry .................................................................... 58 8.3 Dialogues as Paideia seminars ........................................................................ 59 8.3.1 The goals and methodology of the Paideia seminar .............................. 60 8.3.2 The steps of the Paideia seminar........................................................... 61 8.3.3 “Rules” of the Paideia seminar ............................................................... 62 8.3.4 The role of the facilitator in the Paideia seminar .................................... 62 8.3.5 Assessing the outcomes of the Paideia seminar .................................... 63 9 Dialogue as Sokratiska samtal ............................................................ 64 9.1 Lars Lindström and Sokratiska samtal .............................................................. 64 9.1.1 The role of the facilitator in Sokratiska samtal ........................................ 64 9.2 Identificatory reading ........................................................................................ 65 9.3 The context of Sokratiska samtal ...................................................................... 66 9.3.1 “Rules” and dialogical virtues ................................................................. 67 10 Dialogue with Children ......................................................................... 69 10.1 Should children be exposed to Socratic dialogue? ...................................... 69 10.1.1 Are children too immature to philosophize? ........................................... 69 10.1.2 Is the Socratic method dangerous to society? ....................................... 71 10.2 Gareth B Matthews philosophizing with children ......................................... 71 10.3 P4C and PWC ............................................................................................. 72 10.3.1 The methods of P4C and PWC .............................................................. 73 10.3.2 The steps of P4C and PWC ................................................................... 73 10.4 Philosophizing with children in the earlier presented traditions .................... 74 11 Results of the Literature Review .......................................................... 75 11.1 The major goals of the presented traditions ................................................ 75 11.1.1 Sorting out the “Socratic” traditions ........................................................ 76 11.2 Abilities trained in the Socratic seminar ....................................................... 78 11.2.1 Intellectual character .............................................................................. 79 11.2.2 Moral character ...................................................................................... 79 11.3 The context of the seminar .......................................................................... 80 11.3.1 The methodology of the seminar............................................................ 80 11.3.2 The role of the facilitator ........................................................................ 82 11.4 Critical events and possible breakdowns .................................................... 83 SECTION II The Seminar Study ..................................................................