Childhood & Philosophy E-ISSN: 1984-5987 wokohan@gmail.com Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro Brasil Kennedy, David; Kohan, Walter MATTHEW LIPMAN: TESTIMONIES AND HOMAGES Childhood & Philosophy, vol. 6, núm. 12, julio-diciembre, 2010, pp. 167-210 Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro Maracanã, Brasil Disponible en: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=512051605001 Cómo citar el artículo Número completo Más información del artículo Página de la revista en redalyc.org Sistema de Información Científica Red de Revistas Científicas de América Latina, el Caribe, España y Portugal Proyecto académico sin fines de lucro, desarrollado bajo la iniciativa de acceso abierto childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 167 MATTHEW LIPMAN: TESTIMONIES AND HOMAGES David Kennedy & Walter Kohan We lead off this issue of Childhood and Philosophy with a collection of testimonies, homages, and brief memoirs offered from around the world in response to the death of the founder of Philosophy for Children, Matthew Lipman on December 26, 2010, at the age of 87. To characterize Lipman as "founder" is completely accurate, but barely evokes the role he played in conceiving, giving birth to, and nurturing this curriculum cum pedagogy that became a movement, and which has taken root in over 40 countries, from Iceland to Nigeria to Taiwan to Chile and everywhere in between. The movement itself is broader than the program, which has in fact experienced multiple transformations in multiple contexts over its half-century of life. In fact, as many of the testimonies below either state outright or imply, the movement is an emancipatory one and thus implicitly political, infused with all the long-suffering hope for our species inspired in us by the fact of natality, and by our own intuitive faith in the transformative power of reason-or as Lipman came to call it, "reasonableness." For those seized by its educational possibilities, it presents a sudden influx of sunlight and fresh air into an institution long stultified by its own rigid habitus, and promises the reconstruction of schooling in the image of authentic democratic practice that recognizes and honors the unique capacities of children. As Philosophy in the Classroom-Lipman's first and now classic statement of educational philosophy--puts it, the movement promises a re-orientation of the goal of education from information (or "learning") to meaning, and inaugurates the dialogue with childhood and children that follows from that. Lipman was not just founder of this movement but creator, inventor, developer, convener, organizer, faithful soldier, ambassador, apologist, polemicist, propagandist, and, finally, undying optimist. In an attempt to honor Matthew Lipman's life and the gift it represented to so many, we offer, then, this handful of homages, beginning with Walter Kohan's, presented in both English and Spanish. They are in different languages, a kind of Babel-testimony of the Babeldimension of philosophy for children. In addition, we are issuing a call for papers for our next issue, for articles that explore Lipman's theoretical and practical contributions in more depth-whether from the perspective of philosophy, of education, or in the intersection of the two that Lipman's work explored. We are open, of course, to papers that take up his thinking from multiple viewpoints, including the critical, and that explore his impact, not just on philosophy of education, but on philosophy of childhood as well. HOMENAGENS A MATTHEW LIPMAN David Kennedy & Walter Kohan Abrimos este número da childhood & philosophy com um conjunto de testemunhas, homenagens e breves lembranças oferecidas a partir de distintos lugares do mundo em resposta à morte do fundador de filosofia para crianças, Matthew Lipman, em 26 de dezembro de 2010, aos 87 anos. Caracterizar Lipman como um "fundador" é completamente exato, mas mal evoca o papel que ele teve ao conceber, dar a luz, e alimentar matthew lipman: testemonies and homages childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 168 este currículo com uma pedagogia que se transformou num movimento, e que fez raízes em mais de 40 países, da Islândia à Nigéria, à Taiwan e ao Chile e em todos os lados entre esses limites. O movimento é mais largo do que o programa, o qual, aliás, experimentou diversas transformações em múltiplos contextos em seu quase meio século da vida. De fato, como muitos dos testemunhos abaixo mostram ou implicam, o movimento é emancipatório e, assim, implicitamente político, infundido por toda a sofrida esperança de nossas espécies, inspirada em nós pelo fato da natalidade, e por nossa própria fé intuitiva no poder transformador da razão – ou, como Lipman o diria, a "razoabilidade". Para aqueles interessados pelas suas possibilidades educacionais, apresenta um influxo repentino de luz solar e ar fresco numa instituição estancada durante muito tempo pelo seu próprio habitus rígido, e promete a reconstrução da escolarização na imagem da prática democrática autêntica que reconhece e honra as capacidades singulares das crianças. Como afirma em A filosofia na Sala de aula – o primeiro e atualmente clássico texto de Lipman sobre a filosofia educacional -, o movimento promete uma reorientação do fim da educação, da informação (ou da "aprendizagem") para o significado ou sentido, e inaugura o diálogo com a infância e as crianças que se segue dessa reorientação. Lipman não foi apenas fundador deste movimento, mas criador, inventor, impulsor, organizador, soldado fiel, embaixador, apologista, polemicista, propagandista, e, finalmente, otimista sem fim. Na tentativa de honrar a vida de Matthew Lipman e o presente que sua vida e obra representa para tantos, oferecemos, então, este punhado de homenagens, começando com o de Walter Kohan, em inglês e castelhano. Estão escritos em línguas diferentes, em uma espécie de testemunho Babel da babélica dimensão de filosofia para crianças. Além disso, estamos lançando uma chamada para artigos para nossa próxima edição, que explorem a contribuição teórico e prática de Lipman no reino da filosofia, da educação, ou na interseção das duas que o trabalho de Lipman explorou-com mais profundidade. Estamos abertos, naturalmente, a trabalhos que estudem sua produção a partir de perspectivas múltiplas, incluindo as críticas, e que explorem tanto seu impacto na filosofia da educação, como também na filosofia da infância. GOOD-BYE TO MATTHEW LIPMAN Walter Omar Kohan State University of Rio de Janeiro – CNPq/FAPERJ On the last Sunday of the year 2010, the 26th of December, Matthew Lipman, the creator of philosophy for children, passed away. He was 87 years old. At the time of his death Mat was living in an assisted living facility and dealing with deteriorating health mainly due to Parkinson's disease. In his last years he could hardly work-much less than he desired, workaholic that he was--but he was still able to write his autobiography (A Life Teaching Thinking, IAPC, 2008) and to give an interview to David Kennedy concerning Ann Sharp's passing (Ann Sharp's contribution: a conversation with Matthew Lipman), published in childhood & philosophy (Vol. 6, N. 11, 2010)1. 1 ICPIC s Journal. Cf. http://www.periodicos.proped.pro.br/index.php?journal=childhood philosophy for children community childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 169 Details of Lipman's life can be found in his autobiography, written just before Parkinson's Disease prevented him from writing at all. Son of immigrants from Eastern Europe, Matthew Lipman was born in Vineland, New Jersey. He spent his two first years in Philadelphia, and the rest of his childhood in Woodbine, a small village of two thousand inhabitants mainly composed of Russian immigrant farmers who came to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His paternal grandmother, Baba, took the family to the United States after having lived in Germany and Siberia. Lipman's father, Wolf, was born in Germany. Wolf, different than the rest of his siblings whom led agricultural lives, became a Machinist, and was also an inventor who possessed a number of patents. In his frequent visits to his father s shop Lipman nurtured a propensity for practical affairs which, he affirms, he maintained for the rest of his life, professing a "prejudiced preference for practice over theory" (p. 11). Lipman s mother, Sophie Kenin, of Jewish-Lithuanian origin, was born in Philadelphia. She worked in a clothing factory until her children were born. She spoke English with her children and Yiddish with her parents. Lipman's earliest memories are of the dreams he had before he was two years old, in which he could fly. He follows in his autobiography with accounts of an early education that he found tedious and boring, with the exception of some English literature classes, books from his family library that he read repeatedly on his own, and the lessons he learned in Hebrew School, which allowed him to read the Torah out loud and to complete his bar mitzvah. He was nineteen years old when he first encountered the word philosophy. A career test suggested he should study engineering, but he could not afford the costs. When he was twenty years old Lipman tried to volunteer for the air force during World War II, but was rejected due to his poor eyesight; he then joined the army. There, he was able to access the university experience from which his financial situation had barred him. He studied for two semesters at Stanford University in California and, once the war was finished, continued studying for two more years at a university created in Europe during the war--Shrivenham, near London. By that time he had already read an anthology of John Dewey and the Ethics of Spinoza. He took his first course in Philosophy when he was twenty-two years old, and this inspired him to visit David s Hume house in Scotland where he experienced an intense feeling of being "at home" with philosophy. By the end of the war Lipman had earned two medals – which he did not especially value – and the opportunity to study for four years as a doctorate student at the institution he had so much wanted to attend: Columbia University in New York. During these years he met his main intellectual influence, John Dewey, when Dewey was already retired from his academic activities. Lipman was mentored in his doctorate by Meyer Shapiro, and after a frustrating defense of his dissertation (afterwords published as What Happens in Art?) in which for the first time he experienced some of the miseries of academic life, he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to conduct research for two years in Europe. During his time in Europe he met the African-American Wynona Moore, with whom he shared philosophical and political impulses, and whom he would marry in 1952 in Paris. The couple remained married for 22 years. Wynona was part of the liberal base of the Democratic Party and beginning in 1970, served for 30 years as a senator for the state of New Jersey. Upon returning to the United States, Lipman took a position as a professor within the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Columbia University. During the 1950's he met Justus Buchler, his most prominent influence together with Dewey. Lipman's two children were born-Karen in 1959 and Will in 1960--and Lipman and his family moved to the small city of Montclair, New Jersey, very close to New York, where he continued to work. It was also during this time that a more profound interest in education and childhood emerged. This interest was not so much a result of his experiences with his two children as of a reading of Hannah Arendt s article, "Reflections on Little Rock," in Dissent, 1959. For Lipman, Arendt's arguments were provocatively conservative in their favoring the family's control rather than matthew lipman: testemonies and homages childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 170 society's control of education, and because he understood her as placing national interests over the social rights of African Americans. Soon after reading Arendt' article, Lipman began to re-think his own education, and to consider the need for a radical change in his life. The organization of a successful art exposition in New York, overcoming various new challenges, entering into new worlds and intellectual and aesthetic experiences and emerging fuller from them, helped him gain selfconfidence. Education also became the defining challenge of his life. Reading about the experience of Summerhill did not deeply impress Lipman as much as an exposition of art by children studying there did. Lipman began to speculate on children's capacity not only to feel deeply but also to think deeply. The student protests in various Universities during 1968 convinced him of the need for an urgent reform, both practical and theoretical, within all levels of the educational system. In spite of being sympathetic with some of the students' grievances – such as giving students more participation in governing the universities – he believed that these movements would lead not to the transformation of the Universities but to their destruction. He also believed that educational remediation was needed at the base of the system. Lipman held a position similar to the position held by Plato in the first books of The Republic. The need to write a philosophical story, one which could be read by both children and adults, began to become increasingly clear to Lipman. In 1967, he wrote Harry Stottlemaier s Discovery, which has now been translated into more than forty languages. During the writing of Harry he progressively felt himself becoming a creator, an innovator, even surpassing John Dewey whom he critiqued for never having written a curriculum taking scientific inquiry as its model. Harry Stottlemier s Discovery was for Lipman a real introduction to philosophy, both for children and also for their teachers. Each chapter is developed to a particular branch of philosophy, such education, art, religion, and constitutes a specific "philosophy of." It is not a book meant to be about philosophy, but rather philosophy itself vividly recreated in the lives of the children and teachers who read it. In 1969 the first edition of Harry was printed and in 1970 Lipman, together with two assistants, coordinated the first philosophical experiences with the book in a public School of Montclair. This experiment, which took place over nine weeks, and which consisted of two weekly sessions each lasting forty minutes, demonstrated promising results in terms of the logical reasoning of the students who, according to an evaluator with the Montclair Board of Education, improved their logical reasoning abilities "by 27 months of mental age." Lipman eventually moved from Columbia to Montclair State University where he found better institutional conditions to cultivate his project. There he met Ann Margaret Sharp, with whom he would work together in developing curricula, training teachers, and seeking acknowledgment from the philosophical academy, as well as funds to develop his idea and bring it to schools. In 1975 Lipman and Sharp conducted their first training workshop in P4C and it became clear that greater energy and work had to be devoted to teacher education in order to make the program work. Lipman begin to work with his team on a manual for Harry which could be used by teachers with no philosophical background, and to write the other novels that would complete the P4C program. Intensive seminars were offered, first at Rutgers and then at a retreat center in Mendham, New Jersey. Various positive reviews by the media and a film produced by the BBC resulted in greater exposure to the project, first in the United States and then in the rest of the world. People from all continents became interested in Philosophy for Children, and with the invaluable help of Ann Sharp the dissemination of the program to other countries had begun. Lipman's autobiography is full of narratives of unexpected adventures in places as far ranging as Nigeria and Mexico. He offers details on meetings with prominent figures as various as Paulo Freire and Taraq Aziz. He documents unexpected accomplishments, like being named Honorary Scholar of Montclair State University, and the offer to have his philosophy for children community childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 171 records kept at the Library of Living Philosophers at the Carbondale Campus of University of Southern Illinois, together with the works of Dewey and other pragmatists. Lipman also relates his encounters with organizations like the American Philosophical Association and UNESCO. He lived through extreme personal setbacks as well: the death of his son Will due to lymphoma when he was only 24 years old, his own battle with Parkinson's, and the unexpected death of his second wife Teri, thirty years younger, a Christian mystic, as a result of an unexplained problem with a prescription medicine. More recently he had heard of Ann Margaret Sharp s passing. And within the same year that his philosophical companion died, Lipman himself has now passed away, in the Green Hill Retirement Community in West Orange, New Jersey, maybe a little more alone than he deserved to be after having given so much to so many. Matthew Lipman has passed on. He was a philosopher and educator of exemplary committment and coherence in seeing his ideas through to their last consequence, someone determined to "do something" in this unjust world. And this something was nothing less than the completion of a curriculum which makes the practice of philosophy an educational reality for children from the moment they enter school. He also left behind a prominent theoretical body of work that supports his program and presents his perspectives on education. In the last pages of his autobiography Lipman asks himself if his efforts to reform education have been successful. He affirms without doubt that the philosophy for children enterprise has made a lasting impact on the education system. Lipman maintained that, once installed in the elementary school curriculum, philosophy would thrive there, because even though there might be other ways of practicing philosophy and other philosophical perspectives might appear, no other discipline could do what philosophy as a discipline does: help children think critically, creatively and with empathy about themselves and the world in which they live. This is Matthew Lipman's legacy, and the legacy of his foundation. Both remain firm and open at the same time, and they widely exceed the specific program he built and defended in order to see philosophy practiced in schools. More than anything, a kind and honorable person has died, a good person, someone with integrity. I had the pleasure and honor to experience the enormous personal and intellectual generosity of which Lipman was capable. I first met him in 1993 in one of the workshops that he conducted for years in Mendham. Shortly after meeting him, I became his assistant, and he guided me in the writing of my Ph.D. thesis. This was in fact his first experience as a doctoral mentor. He could not have been more open and collaborative in the process. My commitment and enthusiasm for his ideas is continuously growing, but at the same time, in more recent years I have felt a need to recreate his ideas based on other methodological, theoretical, and practical beliefs. I myself have been engaged in this work for the past 15 years. Matthew Lipman the creator of philosophy for children, is gone. Certainly, a number of deserved homages will be offered in many parts of the world. His body of work will continue to be studied, practiced, and published throughout the world. And, perhaps what for Mat would probably be most important, thousands and thousands of children will continue to read his novels in the most diverse languages, and teachers will continue to consult his manuals, looking for meaning in their educational practice. Both the novels and manuals will continue to establish a place for the most diverse philosophical inquiries to occur. Matthew Lipman has passed on, and with him, an important piece of the educational relationship between childhood and philosophy. Just as his colleagues and friends are sad, childhood and philosophy are sad. But childhood and philosophy also rejoice, as do those who, through Lipman, came to see childhood and philosophy in a different way. The moment he entered the realms of childhood and philosophy, and our lives as well, nothing matthew lipman: testemonies and homages childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 172 could continue being as it was. Everything has become, in a sense, more childlike, and, in another sense, more philosophical. Everything has turned out to be more childlikely philosophical, or philosophically childlike. Everything thanks to Matthew Lipman. Thank you so much for all, Mat. Rio de Janeiro, January 2011. PS: As a good-bye present to your uniqueness, I offer you this story. I believe you will like it because it reveals childhood as a force of uniqueness in the world. One time, while investigating in the backyard of our house in Temuco the tiny objects and minuscule beings of my world, I came upon a hole in one of the boards of the fence. I looked through the hole and saw a landscape behind our house that was uncared for and wild. I moved back a few steps, because I sensed vaguely that something was about to happen. All of a sudden a hand appeared, a tiny hand of a boy about my own age. By the time I had approached the fence again, the hand was gone, and in its place there was a marvelous white toy sheep. The sheep's wool was faded. Its wheels had escaped. All of this only made it more real. I had never seen such a wonderful sheep. I looked through the hole again, but the boy had disappeared. I went into the house and brought out a treasure of my own: a pinecone-opened, full of odor and resin, which I adored. I set it down in the same spot in the fence and went off with the sheep. I never saw either the hand or the boy again. And I have never again seen a sheep like that either. In the end, I lost the toy in a fire. But even now, in 1954, almost fifty years old, whenever I pass a toy shop, I look furtively into the window, but it's no use. They don't make sheep like that anymore. (Pablo Neruda, Confieso que he vivido. Barcelona: Seix Barral, 1974, p. 7) ADIÓS A MATTHEW LIPMAN Walter Omar Kohan El último domingo de 2010, 26 de diciembre, se ha muerto Matthew Lipman, el creador de filosofía para niños. Tenía 87 años, vivía en un asilo y estaba con su salud ya bastante debilitada. En los últimos años podía trabajar mucho menos de lo que deseaba, pero lo suficiente para publicar su autobiografía (A life teaching thinking, IAPC, 2008) y para dar una entrevista a David Kennedy a propósito de la muerte de Ann Sharp ("Ann Sharp's contribution: a conversation with Matthew Lipman"), publicada en Childhood & Philosophy (Vol. 6, N. 11, 2010)2. Detalles de su vida pueden encontrarse en su autobiografía, escrita con honestidad y pasión. Hijo de inmigrantes del este europeo, Matthew Lipman nació en Vineland, New Jersey, pasó sus dos primeros años en Philadelphia y luego vivió su infancia en Woodbirne, una pequeña ciudad de dos mil habitantes integrada mayoritariamente por agricultores rusos inmigrantes a los Estados Unidos en el pasaje del siglo XIX al XX. La abuela paterna, rusa, de Lipman, Baba, llevó la familia para Estados Unidos, después de andar por Alemania y Siberia. En Alemania nació el padre de Lipman, Wolf, quien era maquinista, a diferencia de la mayoría de sus hermanos, que eran agricultores. Era también inventor, y patentó diversos inventos, en general, para la industria. En sus frecuentes visitas a su taller, Lipman alimentó un gusto por los asuntos prácticos que afirma haber conservado para el resto de su 2 Periódico del ICPIC. Cf. http://www.periodicos.proped.pro.br/index.php?journal=childhood philosophy for children community childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 173 vida. Su madre, Sophie Kenin, de familia lituana, nació en Philadelphia y dejó de trabajar como costurera en una fábrica de ropa cuando nacieron sus hijos, con quienes hablaba inglés (con sus padres lo hacía en idish). De sus primeros años, Lipman recuerda los frecuentes sueños por volar cuando todavía no había cumplido los dos años, su aburrimiento en la escuela, con excepción de algunas clases de literatura y el poco sentido de las lecciones semanales de hebreo en la escuela judía, que de todos modos le permitieron pasar el rito del bar mitzvah. Vio por primera vez la palabra 'filosofía' a los 19 años. Un test sugirió que debía estudiar ingeniería pero no pudo pagar los costos de la carrera. Eran tiempos de la segunda guerra: a los 20 años, después de haberse voluntariado sin éxito para la fuerza aérea por sus problemas de vista, entró en el ejército. Como militar pudo lo que su condición económica no le había permitido: estudió primero dos semestres en la Universidad de Standford en California y, una vez terminada la guerra, otros dos semestres en una de las dos universidades estadounidenses creadas en Europa, la de Shrivenham, cerca de Londres. En ese momento, ya había leído una antología con textos de Dewey y la Ética de Spinoza. El primer curso de filosofía, ya con 22 años, lo llevó a visitar la casa de Hume en Escocia y a sentir más nítidamente que ese también era su lugar. El fin de la guerra le dio algunas medallas (a las que no valora especialmente) y la posibilidad de estudiar durante cuatro años en los que Lipman se doctoraría en el lugar que tanto había deseado estar: la Universidad de Columbia en New York. Durante esos años, conoció personalmente a su principal inspirador, John Dewey, cuando este ya se había retirado de la vida académica. Su director de tesis fue Meyer Schapiro y una beca Fullbright le permitió estar dos años en París y así re-escribir su tesis, tras una frustrante defensa que le hizo sentir en la piel por primera vez las miserias de la vida académica. En ese viaje conoció a Wynona Moore, negra, con quien compartía inquietudes filosóficas y políticas y con la que se casaría en 1952 en París. El matrimonio duró 22 años. Wynona se tornaría militante del partido Demócrata por el que fue senadora en el Estado de New Jersey durante 30 años a partir de 1970. De vuelta a Estados Unidos, Lipman fue profesor de la Facultad de Farmacia en la Universidad de Columbia. En esos años cincuenta conoció a Justus Buchler, su mayor influencia filosófica junto a Dewey. También en esa década nacieron sus dos hijos: Karen en 1959 y Will en 1960. En esa misma época, Lipman se muda a la pequeña ciudad de Montclair, en el Estado de New Jersey, muy próxima a New York donde todavía trabaja. Ve entonces el surgimiento de su interés más profundo por la educación y por la infancia, que no asocia al nacimiento de sus hijos sino a la lectura de un artículo de Hannah Arendt ("Reflections on Little Rock", en Dissent, 1959) que Lipman considera tremendamente conservador en tanto defiende el control familiar y no social de la educación y desconsidera los derechos sociales de los negros en favor de intereses nacionales. Comienza a pensar en su propia educación y en la necesidad de un cambio profundo de vida. Organiza una exitosa exposición de Arte en New York. Los diferentes desafíos que debe superar, el mundo distinto en el que debe sumergirse y la manera íntegra en que sale de él, lo hacen sentir más confianza en sí mismo. La educación se vuelve definitivamente "la" cuestión de su vida. La lectura de la experiencia escolar de Summerhill no lo impresiona profundamente, pero sí lo hace una visita a una exposición de producciones artísticas de niños y niñas de esa escuela. Comienza a especular sobre la capacidad de los niños no sólo para sentir sino también para pensar. Las revueltas en las universidades en el 68, que Lipman ve negativamente, lo hacen pensar en una necesaria y urgente reforma, teórica y práctica, del sistema educacional en todos sus niveles. Aunque estaba de acuerdo en algunas reivindicaciones como una mayor participación estudiantil en el gobierno de las universidades Lipman consideraba que esos movimientos significaban no una transformación de las instituciones sino su destrucción. En cualquier caso, siente que es necesario un remedio educacional en su base, se ve a sí mismo en una posición como la de Platón en los primeros libros de La República, como un legislador. matthew lipman: testemonies and homages childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 174 Toma forma la necesidad de crear una historia, que tanto niños como adultos pudieran leer. Lo hace en 1967: El descubrimiento de Ari Stóteles. Lipman se siente un creador, un innovador, incluso respecto de Dewey. Para Lipman, Dewey podría haber creado un currículo que llevase a la práctica su idea de la educación como investigación tomando como modelo la investigación científica. Pero no fue tan osado. El descubrimiento de Ari Stóteles era para Lipman una verdadera introducción a la filosofía, tanto para niñas y niños como para sus maestras y maestros. Cada capítulo era dedicado a una materia: la educación, la religión, el arte, cada uno de ellos conteniendo así una diferente "filosofía de...". No era un libro sobre filosofía sino que era filosofía tal y como Lipman la quería ver recreada en la vida educacional de sus lectores. En 1969 imprime una primera versión de Ari y en 1970 coordina, con dos asistentes, una primera experiencia en una escuela pública de Montclair. La experiencia, de 2 sesiones por semana de 40 minutos, durante 9 semanas, o sea, 18 sesiones en total, resulta alentadora en términos del crecimiento lógico de los alumnos, que Lipman mide mediante un test y asesoría de un especialista. Lipman se transfiere de Columbia a Montclair State, donde encuentra mejores condiciones institucionales para lanzar su proyecto. Conoce a Ann Sharp, con quien pasa a trabajar en equipo buscando el reconocimiento de la academia filosófica y dinero para desarrollar su idea y llevarla a las escuelas. En 1975 realiza el primer trabajo de formación de maestras y los resultados exigen una reformulación y muestran la necesidad de poner mucha energía en esa dirección. Al mismo tiempo, Lipman y su equipo diseñan un manual para Ari, para que pueda ser utilizado por maestras sin formación filosófica y comienza a escribir las otras novelas que irán complementando el programa. Comienzan los seminarios intensivos de formación, primero en Rutgers, y después en Mendham. Algunas intervenciones en los medios y un filme producido por la BBC dan gran repercusión al programa, primero en los Estados Unidos y luego en el exterior. Personas del mundo entero se interesan por la philosophy for children y comienza su "diseminación" en otros países, en buena parte, gracias al trabajo de Ann Sharp. Lipman destaca aventuras impensadas, como en Nigeria y México; su encuentro con personalidades contrastantes, como Paulo Freire y Tariq Aziz, después ministro de Saddam Hussein; logros impensados, como la nominación de Profesor Honorario en su Universidad, el pedido para guardar sus archivos en la Biblioteca de Filósofos Vivos de la Universidad de Southern Illinous, Campus de Carbondale, junto a los de Dewey y otros pragmatistas; sus desencuentros y encuentros con organizaciones como la APA y la UNESCO. Narra también algunos golpes personales duros: la muerte de su hijo Will por un linfoma a los 24 años, la propia enfermedad con el avance del Parkinson, la sorpresiva muerte de su segunda esposa Teri, treinta años más joven, mística cristiana, por un inexplicado mal suministro de medicamentos. Recientemente, la muerte de Ann Margaret Sharp debe haber significado también un gran dolor. Sin dejar que termine el mismo año de la muerte de su compañera filosófica, se ha muerto Matthew Lipman en la residencia comunitaria Green Hill en West Orange, New Jersey, tal vez un poco más solo de lo que su entrega por los otros parecía merecer. Se ha muerto Matthew Lipman. Se ha ido un filósofo y educador comprometido y coherente en llevar hasta las últimas consecuencias sus ideas, obstinado por "hacer algo", frente a un mundo injusto. E hizo nada menos que un currículo completo para que la práctica de la filosofía fuera una realidad educacional para niñas y niños. Apostó a que tan pronto como cuando entran a la escuela ya pueden filosofar. Impulso la efectiva puesta en práctica de su obra para miles de niñas y niños de todos los continentes. Dejó también una significativa obra teórica que fundamentó su programa y perspectivas sobre la educación. En las últimas páginas de su autobiografía se pregunta si su intento ha tenido éxito. No duda en responder afirmativamente. Sostiene, que una vez instalada en los currículos de la enseñanza fundamental, la filosofía permanecerá allí por mucho tiempo, porque aunque philosophy for children community childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 175 puedan aparecer otros programas de filosofía diferentes al suyo, u otras perspectivas filosóficas además de la suya, ninguna disciplina puede hacer lo que la filosofía hace, esto es, ayudar a niñas y niños a pensar de forma crítica, creativa y cuidadosa sobre sí mismos y el mundo que los rodea. Ese es el legado de Matthew Lipman y el de su fundación, sólida y abierta al mismo tiempo, y que excede ampliamente la forma específica que diseñó y luchó para ver la filosofía practicada en las escuelas. Por sobre todas las cosas, se ha muerto un gran tipo, una persona íntegra. Personalmente tuve la suerte y el privilegio de experimentar la inmensa generosidad, personal e intelectual, de que Lipman era capaz. Lo conocí en 1993 en uno de los cursos intensivos de Mendham. Después, fui su asistente en Montclair, mientras escribía mi tesis de doctorado por él dirigida. Era, de hecho, su primera experiencia como director de una tesis. No pudo ser más abierto y colaborador en ese proceso. Mi entusiasmo y compromiso con su idea fueron siempre crecientes, al mismo tiempo en que creció, en los últimos años, una necesidad de recrear esa idea sobre nuevas bases prácticas, metodológicas y teóricas. En eso trabajo. Se ha muerto Matthew Lipman, el creador de filosofía para niños. Seguramente, diversos homenajes serán realizados en muchas partes del mundo. Su obra continuará siendo practicada, estudiada y discutida en el mundo entero. Y lo que, tal vez a él le resultaría más gratificante, sus novelas continuarán siendo leídas por niñas y niños en los más diversos idiomas y sus manuales seguirán siendo consultados por docentes en busca de un sentido filosófico para su práctica. Unas y otros continuarán dando lugar a las más diversas indagaciones filosóficas. Se ha muerto Matthew Lipman y con él, un pedazo importante de la historia de la relación educacional entre la infancia y la filosofía. Una y otra están tristes, como todos los que tuvimos el gusto de conocerlo. Pero una y otra también están alegres, como también estamos todos los que a partir de Lipman las pasamos a ver de otra manera. Es que, después que él se metió en nuestras vidas, ya nada ha sido de la misma manera. Todo se ha vuelto, en cierto sentido, más infantil y, en otro sentido, más filosófico. Todo se ha vuelta más infantilmente filosófico, o filosóficamente infantil. Todo gracias a Matthew Lipman. Muchas gracias, por todo, Mat. Walter Omar Kohan, Río de Janeiro, enero de 2011. PD: A modo de presente de despedida para alguien único, va esta historia. Creo que te gustará, porque muestra la fuerza única de la infancia para crear algo único en el mundo. Recuerdo también que una vez, buscando los pequeños objetos y los minúsculos seres de mi mundo en el fondo de mi casa, encontré un agujero en una tabla del cercado. Miré a través del hueco y vi un terreno igual al de mi casa, baldío y silvestre. Me retiré unos pasos porque vagamente supe que iba a pasar algo. De pronto apareció una mano. Era la mano pequeñita de un niño de mi edad. Cuando me acerqué ya no estaba la mano y en su lugar había una diminuta oveja blanca. Era una oveja de lana desteñida. Las ruedas con que se deslizaba se habían escapado. Nunca había visto yo una oveja tan linda. Fui a mi casa y volví con un regalo que dejé en el mismo sitio: una piña de pino, entreabierta, olorosa y balsámica que yo adoraba. Nunca más vi la mano del niño. Nunca más he vuelto a ver una ovejita como aquélla. La perdí en un incendio. Y aún ahora, en estos años, cuando paso por una juguetería, miro furtivamente las vitrinas. Pero es inútil. Nunca más se hizo una oveja como aquélla. Pablo Neruda, Confieso que he vivido. Barcelona: Seix Barral, 2974, p. 7. matthew lipman: testemonies and homages childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 176 FILOSOFÍA PARA NIÑOS: UNA APUESTA DELIBERATIVA POR LA FILOSOFÍA Y LA EDUCACIÓN. Amparo Muñoz Ferriol, Centro de FpN de la Comunidad Valenciana, España. La muerte de Matthew Lipman y de Ann Sharp este pasado año 2010 ha supuesto una enorme pérdida para el mundo de la educación y de la filosofía. Ambos dejan su legado en frutos: novelas, manuales, la perspectiva pedagógica de la comunidad de investigación, el movimiento internacional de FpN, una propuesta novedosa de formación del profesorado...pero ya no están aquí para seguir impulsando directamente su proyecto. Por eso, por un lado, la tristeza y el vacío de su ausencia se hacen presentes en este homenaje. Pero, por otro lado, la confianza en el ser humano sale reforzada por la vida de ambos. Cada uno a su estilo, se comprometió con la idea clave del proyecto y con la educación. Matthew estaba convencido de que la filosofía podía tener un papel muy relevante en todo el proceso educativo. Junto a Ann y otros colaboradores se entusiasmó con esta idea y trabajó incansablemente para que tal proyecto fuera de muchos y, en último término, de la humanidad. Matthew era un optimista vital, creía que nunca irían a desaparecer términos clave como los de investigación, razonabilidad, democracia, filosofía, pensamiento y deliberación. Ojalá tenga razón, y no signifique lo contrario la reducción de la presencia de la Filosofía en la enseñanza secundaria del sistema educativo español. Dichos términos representan para Lipman lo que anticipa y caracteriza al proyecto de "Filosofía para Niños" que, a nuestro juicio, se configura como un proceso deliberativo metodológico. Estoy convencida de que es necesario aprender a deliberar para aprender a pensar bien sobre cómo entendemos el mundo y cómo nos comprendemos a nosotros mismos, sobre cómo vivimos, qué hacemos, qué podemos hacer, cuáles son las posibilidades vitales, es decir, es necesario desarrollar la autorreflexión personal y la reflexión con otros en la comunidad de investigación, porque esto, en definitiva, es hacer filosofía. En el proceso deliberativo, cada persona puede tener razones muy importantes y diferentes para defender lo que piensa. Por eso, dejar espacios educativos para formular las razones y exponerlas a los demás nos ayudará a descubrir si son argumentos razonables y tal vez nos llevará a otros argumentos o distinciones y esas a otras. Ese proceso de exposición de las ideas que conducen a otras, que clarifica, que contrasta, que descubre sentidos... es facilitado por la propuesta de Filosofía para niños y es enriquecedor en sí mismo. Es verdad que, al final, viene el momento de la elección personal, y ahí cada cual puede tomar sus propias decisiones, pero no hay que olvidar todo lo que supone el haber pasado por ese proceso de pensamiento, eso es lo que ilumina, eso es el lógos. Si los profesores logramos extraer de los estudiantes todas esas formulaciones, nos podemos dar por satisfechos, porque ese es el proceso de investigación filosófica. Matthew Lipman y todos sus colaboradores, especialmente, Ann Sharp han contribuido a incrementar el patrimonio de la humanidad en el ámbito educativo. Nos han legado una propuesta didáctica valiosa en la que la filosofía y la educación se dan la mano para aunar esfuerzos y mejorar la vida que transcurre en las aulas. Por ello, quisiera terminar dándoles las gracias y expresando el deseo de que su esfuerzo siga dando sus frutos y de que el profesorado de los distintos niveles educativos que hemos descubierto las virtualidades de la idea que tuvo Lipman sepamos transmitirla y mejorarla. philosophy for children community childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 177 HABLAR CON PALABRAS, CON MIRADAS Y CON PLÁTANOS... Angélica Sátiro Proyecto Noria, España Desde finales de los años 80 que la presencia de Mattew Lipman en mi vida profesional ha significado inspiración, reflexión y compromiso con un proyecto colectivo. Conocí su obra a través de Catherine Young Silva, responsable por la introducción de P4C en Brasil. Leí sus palabras, permití que entraran dentro de mi y que se mezclaran con mi trayectoria educativa que cumplía su primera década y que contenía tanto la filosofía, como la educación de niños, como el arte. La propuesta metodológica de la comunidad de investigación y la unión de aspectos que yo vivía por separado: filosofía y niños, fue lo que mas me marcó. Además, surgió en mi vida un conjunto de personas muy interesantes que compartían el proyecto. Este conjunto de ideas, de propuestas y de personas interesantes profundizó y amplió, de manera definitiva, lo que yo venía desarrollando. Aprendí. Después, a lo largo de los años, la vida me fue regalando oportunidades de encontrar al maestro en diferentes geografías: en Brasil, en España en USA. En las primeras oportunidades de estar con él, descubrí como hablaba con sus miradas y pasé a mirar su mirada. Su mirada me enseñó a mirar su mundo desde un lugar distinto, me ayudó a reinterpretar mis propios prejuicios. Confieso que nunca me ha caído bien el imperialismo estadounidense. Pero, su obra transcendía a todo esto. Entendí que algunas de mis miradas eran más bien discapacidades de ver a su mundo. Aprendí. Descubrí que él miraba muy intrigado al movimiento mundial que se creó en su entorno. Él miraba desde un "ego suspendido", es decir, lo más importante para él no era ser admirado... Volví a aprender. Además, me ofreció un espejo cuando me miró; me hizo ver en mí lo que él ha visto. Incentivó a que yo creara y escribiera filosofía para niños y niñas y me enseñó cómo hacerlo. Esto fue una de las veces que fui al IAPC en New Jersey State University y he tenido el placer de verlo, en exclusiva, cada día en "aulas particulares". Manuela Gómez, del GRUPiref, nos ayudaba con la traducción de las palabras. Un día ella llegó después, yo y él llevábamos ya un tiempo de "dialogar" con las palabras, con las miradas y con los plátanos que habían encima de la mesa. A mi siempre me ha encantado el razonamiento analógico y aquellos plátanos nos ayudaban a entender qué queríamos decir sobre algún complejo concepto filosófico con implicaciones educativas. Curiosa relación hecha de silencios, pausas, palabras, miradas, plátanos filosóficos y risas... Aprendí otra vez. Y lo que nunca dudé se hizo más evidente: estaba delante de un maestro! Ahora que escribo este texto mi pregunto: ¿Cuándo alguien puede ser considerado un MAESTRO? Y para responder me vienen dos citas: Cómo empieza el arte: una canción para plantar el arroz en lo más profundo. Bashô Un maestro es aquel que empieza su obra en lo más profundo y, desde allí, la comunica a los demás; pero lo hace con alguna gracia especial. Ven a la orilla, dijo. Dijeron: Tenemos miedo. Ven a la orilla, insistió. Ellos fueron. Él los empujó ... Y volaron. Guillaume Apollinaire Un maestro ayuda a sus aprendices a atreverse, a lanzarse, a vencer sus miedos y a volar. ¡Gracias maestro Lipman! matthew lipman: testemonies and homages childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 178 UNA VITA DEDICATA ALLA RICERCA UNA VITA DI RICERCA Anna Maria Carpentieri Scuola Media Statale "G. Da Sangallo", di Ostia Lido, Roma, Italia Ho appreso la notizia della morte di M. Lipman mentre trascorrevo le vacanze natalizie nel Connecticut, a casa di mio figlio. Ho deciso, quindi, di partecipare al suo funerale,per rendere omaggio ad un grande uomo,il cui pensiero ha inciso in modo così determinante nella mia vita. Conobbi il Prof. Lipman nel 1994,nel corso di una Conferenza a Roma. Pensavo che avrei ascoltato un illustre intellettuale ed avrei visto un professore borioso, invece incontrai una persona semplice ed affabile. Tutti coloro che lo hanno commemorato ne hanno evidenziato la ricchezza di pensiero, ma anche la costante gentilezza,cortesia e disponibilità. A corredo di questo breve testo ho ritenuto interessante riportare le parole di alcuni bambini che, dopo aver letto <Elfie>,hanno provato a raccontare la propria esperienza col definire quale significato avesse acquisito per loro il praticare la filosofia. Ho creduto che parole sgorgate dalla mente e dal cuore dei bambini, parole semplici eppur ricche di significato, avrebbero potuto meglio ricordare un uomo ed uno studioso che ha dedicato la sua vita alla ricerca filosofica ed educativa. CLASSE III I Scuola Primaria Statale "Giuseppe ed Eugenio Garrone" Roma Lido di Ostia, Italy, 2005-2006 PHILOSOPHY IS.... In my opinion, philosophy is something that helps you think Alexander, For me, philosophy's goal is to make you think over – Riccardo, For me, philosophy is a way to think Michelle, For me, philosophy is to think, to learn in another way, in a either a small group or a big group of people or by myself Sara G., In my opinion, philosophy is a subject that can help you when you have a problem Sara C., Philosophy is when we solve problems, when we listen to each other and when we have fun Nicole, For me, philosophy is a discussion Julia, Philosophy is where you tell of desires Luca G., It's a very nice exercise Luca L., We read, we speak, we listen to each other and we write on what we talk about. Philosophy is not a subject like all the others because instead of writing and drawing, it's about speaking Alessandra, It's what we are doing with "Elfie" – Daniel, For me philosophy is a group of things Noemi Li., Philosophy is an activity, we make groups of children and then we talk – Alessia, philosophy for children community childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 179 Philosophy is an activity that has the purpose of making children learn to talk and to judgeGiorgia, Philosophy is a fun activity because we listen to each other, we read, we write and we draw – Adriana, For me philosophy's lab is a subject of listening and respect – Denise, It's a Physical Education, it's fantastic – Emanuele, Philosophy is something that helps you think – Federica, Philosophy is where we ask lots of questions – Annalisa. IN LIPMAN'S MEMORY Antonio Cosentino CRIF (Centro di Ricerca sull'Indagine Filosofica), Italia Nel momento in cui Matthew Lipman si disincarna, la sua vita diventa un pezzo di memoria e si consegna all'interpretazione che può riattualizzare sempre di nuovo la sua figura nella misura in cui si impegna a ricostruire il senso e le prospettive del suo pensiero. La prima considerazione che si impone alla mia mente è che la P4C è uno strano traghetto, verso il terzo millennio, della controcultura tipica degli anni '70, in vario modo legata allo spirito del '68. Un acuto interprete italiano del movimento del '68 ha scritto che "il gruppo impara sempre meglio che essenziale per la sua sopravvivenza non è l'oggetto del desiderio, ma lo stato di desiderio". Nella società, nella cultura, nella pedagogia e nei sistemi educativi odierni nulla è rimasto di quella stagione di creatività e di slancio trasformativo. Ma la P4C, in modi che sono tutti da valutare e da chiarire, ha tenuto accesa una scintilla che proviene da quel fuoco e, se ciò è stato possibile, è perché conteneva una distanza dagli oggetti del desiderio rivoluzionario, dalle reificazioni paralizzanti e dai dogmatismi. Dal mio punto di vista, la "comunità di ricerca filosofica", per come è stata introdotta da Lipman nella pratica educativa e per come può essere trasformata in pratica sociale diffusa, rappresenta l'eredità più viva dei progetti e degli sforzi di liberazione degli anni '70 del secolo scorso. Questa vitalità consiste fondamentalmente nella convinzione che la pratica di fornire risposte, "oggetti" posseduti e scambiabili, ha la pesantezza delle catene e porta con sé la condanna della insaziabilità depressiva e deprimente. Al contrario, l'incessante domandare vale come "stato" e come desiderio (eros-caring) verso l'Altro: esso mantiene aperte le relazioni e il dialogo e indica l'unica speranza di cambiare il mondo pacificamente. MERCI INFINIMENT MONSIEUR LIPMAN Le groupe des formateurs aux ateliers de philosophie AGSAS-Lévine Au nom de tous les enfants qui ont pu, peuvent et pourront bénéficier des ateliers de philosophie, ainsi qu'au nom de l'AGSAS, Association des Groupes de Soutien au Soutien, créée par Jacques Lévine, nous voudrions remercier Matthew Lipman, d'avoir guidé nos pas sur le chemin de la philosophie pour enfants. Très tôt, Jacques Lévine et les pédagogues qui travaillaient avec matthew lipman: testemonies and homages childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 180 lui ont été très intéressés par les travaux de Matthew Lipman qui ont été la source d'une réflexion et ont formés les bases des recherches de l'AGSAS sur les Ateliers de Philosophie pour enfants. De nombreux concepts ont permis la rencontre entre ces deux grands chercheurs qui se respectaient et s'estimaient. Dans un même respect, ils considèrent l'élève comme un « interlocuteur valable ».Ils souhaitent donner une importance essentielle au développement de la pensée chez l'enfant, pour une construction de l'adulte de demain capable de raisonnement et de jugement. Ils « préconisent, à l'école, une éducation à la pensée autonome, créative et attentive, par le biais du dialogue philosophique », même si ce « dialogue » n'a pas la même résonance dans les ateliers à visée philosophiques de Matthew Lipman que dans les ateliers AGSASLévine. Ils favorisent les relations qui s'établissent, dans le groupe classe, entre élèves, en constituant une communauté de recherche, développant ainsi un sentiment d'appartenance à une collectivité, favorisant à la fois une parole personnelle, ainsi qu'une construction groupale d'un corpus de pensées sur le thème choisi. Nous n'avons pas eu, hélas, l'occasion de rencontrer M. Lipman, ni de correspondre directement avec lui, mais nous n'oublierons pas ce que nous lui devons et nous espérons que le travail qu'il a engagé continuera à se diffuser à travers les différents courants de la philosophie pour enfants, pour l'avenir de l'humanité. UN ADIÓS CON AFECTO AL MAESTRO MATTHEW LIPMAN Beatriz Sánchez Pirela Centro de Filosofía para Niños y Niñas MaracaiboEstado ZuliaVenezuela Cada vida tiene una narración, Cada narración tiene una vida Matthew Lipman El Centro de Filosofía para Niños y Niñas (CENFIN) de la Facultad de Filosofía y Teología de la Universidad Católica Cecilio Acosta (Venezuela-Zulia) se une al duelo internacional por la partida del gran maestro Matthew Lipman el creador del Programa Filosofía para niños y niñas. Él se ha marchado pero ha dejado una fructífera propuesta filosófica .En ella señorea la ética desdoblada en el diálogo en gran armonía con la belleza, la amistad, la paz, la tolerancia, la sensibilidad, el respeto y la compasión, entre muchas otras Pléyades que están presentes cada día en nuestra labor como docentes de filosofía. Como muestra del florecimiento del Programa de filosofía para niños estamos nosotros y nosotras y queremos decirle al mundo que aquí estamos presentes aquellos y aquellas, quienes en Venezuela hemos venido desarrollando hace diez años el Programa de Filosofía para niños y niñas, inspirados en el pensamiento de Matthew Lipman, para lo cual hemos venido estudiando y formándonos hasta constituirnos en formadores de formadores porque creemos que es el legado de Lipman que se constituye en una semilla para sembrar y recoger frutos en aras de contribuir con la educación de nuestra niñez venezolana. philosophy for children community childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 181 A partir de temas tradicionales de la filosofía y, mediante un conjunto de pautas metodológicas, cuidadosamente planificadas y experimentadas, que estimulan la razón y el asombro de los niños y niñas, nos hemos propuesto revolucionar la educación, partiendo del estimulo del pensamiento complejo en el seno de una comunidad de diálogo. Porque es desde esta comunidad desde donde sus miembros trabajan para ser capaces de entender el punto de vista de los demás y se esfuerzan solidariamente por descubrir el sentido del mundo y de la sociedad en la que vivimos. Nuestro más sincero homenaje al maestro de maestros es nuestra promesa por seguir desarrollando sus ideas y su pensamiento, a fin de contribuir con un mañana distinto. Cecile Gabellini I want to share some feelings about the time I spent with Matthew Lipman in March 2004. I had been studying P4C in Montpellier, France and had the opportunity to visit the IAPC to conduct interviews and to meet him. I remember coming from downtown New York on the train, headed for Montclair University, and my heart was beating hard because I knew that I would shortly be standing in front of the Matthew Lipman in person!! And what a sweet surprise it was when I entered the little green house--it felt immediately like home. Mat and I made a connection right away. There are no words to explain those kinds of beautiful human interactions. I spent two weeks visiting the IAPC almost every day. I interviewed Mat, but besides that academic encounter, he shared with me his passion for children, for education, and for life. It was so easy to communicate with him! Our differences in age, culture, education and language did not matter at all. We stood together many times in the kitchen, drinking coffee and talking, sharing ideas and laughing. But what was special between us is the fact that I am French and Mat had a real connection to France! He very much enjoyed talking about his time there as a young man, and his interest in French language and culture. I remember the sparkle in his eye when he told me about his wanderings in Paris in the 50s. We became close--just like that--because we could share mutual ideas and passions and we could relate to France. What a precious time we had. I kept in touch, sending him a postcard every once in while, and when I visited him in 2009 with David Kennedy, he remembered me as "the French girl"! We had a good time laughing, David, Mat and I. This is what I wanted to share. I feel grateful and thankful for the time I spent with Matthew and I keep the sparkle in his eye--for education, for P4C, and for Paris--deep inside. DE HECTOR Y SU PAPÁ Chema Sánchez Alcón Asociación de "filosofía para niños" de la comunidad Valenciana, España El Niño-Filósofo Que Abrazó Dos Estrellas Querido Mat, querida Anne, me llamo Héctor, tengo 5 añitos y mi papá, Chema, me ha dicho que... ha intentado decirme que... más bien, no ha sabido decirme lo que todos los niños de mi edad saben aunque los adultos no sepan explicárselo... ¿Tan difícil matthew lipman: testemonies and homages childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 182 le resulta a los mayores hablar del lugar donde van las personas cuando desaparecen de la Vida? En verdad, los adultos hablan todo el tiempo de morirse para acá, de morirse para allá pero nadie sabe qué es eso, ni qué pasa cuando las personas se van de este mundo. Sin embargo, como os digo, querida Anne y querido Mat, vosotros, al igual que los niños de mi edad, sí sabéis dónde estáis porque yo os he visto y he pintado ese dibujo para que mi papá también lo sepa. Yo sé que vosotros habéis sido personas que a lo largo de vuestra vida habéis llevado la LUZ de vuestros pensamientos y de vuestra sabiduría a miles de profesores y de niños como yo, entre ellos a mi y a mi padre, y sé que si las personas, cuando son reales, llevan soles dentro de ellas, cuando sus cuerpos se apagan no pasa lo mismo con su energía, esa energía en forma de luz se eleva hasta las estrellas y habita para siempre en ellas. Y esas estrellas, como por ejemplo nuestro sol, que es ya una estrella viejecita y que también desparecerá, esas estrellas seguirán para siempre iluminando a las personas que andan a oscuras, o perdidas, o no saben qué está bien o qué está mal... Esas estrellas, si son brillantes y luminosas, se les pueden aparecer a las personas en cualquier momento... A esto lo llaman los adultos tener ideas, o iluminarse las mentes o incluso los mismos filósofos hablan de las "luces de la razón". Todo esto se debe, yo bien lo sé y vosotros también, queridos Mat y Anne, a que cada persona necesita en el mundo alguna estrella que ilumine su camino por la vida para no ir a oscuras y dando tumbos. Y vosotros, queridas estrellas del firmamento, sois esa luz que muchos necesitan. Mi papá, por ejemplo, me dijo que sin la luz que vosotros le habéis enviado él no sería quien es como profe. Papá, ¿tú conociste alguna vez a Mat y a Anne?, le pregunté una vez. No, nunca los vi, nunca hablé con ellos, nunca comí con ellos, nunca tuve el placer de conocerlos. No lo entiendo, papá, si no los conoces, ¿por qué han influido en tu vida? Claro, yo pensaba esto con cuatro años pero ahora que ya soy mayor y tengo cinco años me doy cuenta de lo que mi padre sentía: podemos amar a alguien que no conocemos de nada y no sentir nada por nuestro vecino al que vemos todos los días. Mi papá es profesor de Filosofía en un Instituto de Valencia y conoció las ideas de Mat cuando comenzaba a trabajar, hace casi veinte años; las conoció casi por azar, porque un buen amigo le habló de ellas como él ahora habla de esas ideas con otros profes; y cuando supo que se podía educar a los niños y a los jóvenes sin atiborrar sus cabezas con meros conocimientos y que era posible enseñar a pensar a los demás y a tener valores éticos y a ser creativos y a desarrollar su mundo emocional y todo eso se podía hacer con pasión, con amor y con convencimiento a mi papá se le encendió una bombilla dentro de su cabeza y desde entonces esa bombilla sigue encendida... Vaya, vaya, con la luz que habéis desprendido en vuestras vidas, vaya, vaya. Por eso, mi papá, desde que ya no soy un bebé, me lee cuentos para pensar y me dice que tengamos conversaciones filosóficas para que desarrolle mis valores y sea una buena persona y un ciudadano comprometido con el mundo, que tenga un alto sentido de la justicia y de la solidaridad. Mi papá dice que vosotros le habéis enseñado todo esto y por eso, él que sabe tanto, no sé por qué se empeña en decirme que ya no estáis en este mundo cuando, si todo eso es verdad, es ahora más que nunca cuando vuestra existencia es más autentica porque es ahora cuando esa energía habita en la mente y en el corazón de algunos de los mejores educadores del mundo. Querido Mat y querida Anne, espero que mi dibujo, con mis largas manos abrazándoos como si fuerais dos estrellas brillantes, os haya gustado. Yo siempre recordaré que esos valores de los que mi papá habla tienen vuestro nombre pero, sobre todo, tienen vuestra LUZ. philosophy for children community childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 183 Christopher Phillips Founder, Socrates Cafe and Democracy Cafe dialogue projects Few have had more of an impact on my life than Mat Lipman, a beloved friend and mentor whose singular works and deeds advance tremendously the humanistic enterprise. The important influence of Mat's efforts to bring philosophical inquiry out of university settings and make it part of children's educational experience and moral development, as a principal means for the cultivation of caring, thinking and democratic inclusivity, can hardly be overstated. I began my studies under Mat at Montclair State University – where, in 1997, I earned a Master of Arts in Teaching Degree – at the same time as I launched my first Socrates Café dialogue group, hoping to bring methodical inquiry into more public spaces, in some respects mirroring the type that Mat espoused and had attempted to disseminate in schools for well over a quarter of a century. I had the good fortune to take the final course, in social inquiry, that Mat personally presided over. Mat adopted a radical inclusiveness, which tended to bring out the best in the wonderfully diverse group of graduate students in my class. Our motley group included an aficionado of the mystic-poet Rumi, an Argentinian anarchist, a Brazilian devotee of the analytic philosopher and logician William Van Ormine Quine, and a social activist (now my wife!) involved in the indigenous rights movement in Chiapas, Mexico. Mat asserted in his seminal Thinking in Education that all genuine inquiry necessarily is "self-critical practice, all of it is exploratory and inquisitive." He maintained that the community of inquiry is characterized not so much by a quest to reach a fixed destination, but by a ongoing process imbued with "reasonableness, creativity, and care." Mat continually stressed the importance of critiquing, with an incisiveness born of love, what mattered to one the most, and it is in that context that Mat faulted the existing educational system. To the extent that it "does not encourage children to reflect or to think thoroughly and systematically about matters of importance to them," it essentially "fails to prepare them to satisfy one criterion that must be satisfied if one is to be not merely a citizen of society, but a good citizen of democracy." Sadly, the educational system continues, by and large, to fail miserably in this regard. But Mat would never despair over this; rather, he'd encourage all of us he's touched to continue to fight the good fight, more so than ever. Every time I visited Mat over the years since I graduated, the last thing he'd say before we parted company was, "Carry on." And I know that's what his fondest exhortation would be for everyone who has been transformed both by his personal example and the Philosophy for Children he founded: Carry on. matthew lipman: testemonies and homages childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 184 MATTHEW LIPMAN. TEMOIGNAGE POUR UN HOMMAGE Emmanuèle AURIAC-SLUSARCZYK Laboratoire PAEDI, Université Blaise Pascal, Clermont Université. Sans l'avoir connu, j'ai été séduite. Le courage intellectuel de Matthew Lipman force à une irréversibilité. Penser est une actualité d'enfance non un horizon d'adulte. La confrontation aux écrits de Lipman ressource celui qui pense que penser vaut le coup. Dans nos sociétés qui bafouent l'intelligence sous l'apparat d'une modernité technologique et communicationnelle, peut-être n'aurais-je pas eu le courage intellectuel de tenir bon sans le réconfort du philosophe. Creuser sereinement l'idée que parler vaut pour penser... représente un défi. Il faut faire preuve de résistance. Si les accusations absurdes ont voulu réduire l'entreprise Lipman à l'idée mal comprise du pragmatisme, puisse en ces circonstances de perte humaine l'admiration prendre le pas sur l'accusation. Aucune controverse intellectualiste ne saurait détrôner l'idée géniale de cet homme. Sa dimension humaine a garanti pour toujours la complexité qui fait de nous des êtres confrontés aux réalités du monde et non aux seules chimères nommées connaissances. Ce qui m'apparaît le plus touchant dans son expérience, c'est la concrétude de sa méthode à l'origine d'un déploiement d'outils dans le monde entier. D'homo Faber à Homo Sapiens, il a fait le pont. Quoi de plus utile qu'un homme qui se risque pour que d'autres osent. Penser représente ce qui est le plus commun et le plus compliqué pour l'homme. Il est pour moi celui qui rompt avec l'idée que l'homme doit être à distance de sa pensée. Il réconcilie l'homme à la pensée. C'est pour cela, je crois, qu'il est allé chercher la pensée au coeur de l'homme chez l'enfant. Nos enfants profiteront, je l'espère, d'une continuation de l'oeuvre, tant l'entreprise doit être saluée. Chapeau bas Matthew ! MATTHEW LIPMAN – MY KEY TO THE WORLD Eva Marsal University of Education Karlsruhe, Germany Unfortunately I did not know Matthew Lipman personally. Nonetheless I felt very close to him, for the spirit that emanated from him reached me through his essays and the photographs I found on the internet. The photo that most impressed me was taken on August 25, 2002, and revealed how at ease he was in the company of children and also how comfortable they were with him: I first read about Lipman when Hans Joachim Werner, director of the Institute for Theology and Philosophy, asked for my philosophy for children community childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 185 participation in a seminar he was planning on "Philosophizing with Children" and an essay for the state teachers journal. Takara Dobashi, Professor of Pedagogy in Hiroshima, read this essay and invited me to cooperate with him in further research on children's philosophy. Out of this cooperation we founded the German-Japanese Research Initiative on Philosophizing with Children (Deutsch-Japanische Forschungsinitiative zum Philosophieren mit Kindern /DJFPK), and also philosophized with Japanese children. Ekkehard Martens, who together with Daniela G. Camhy und Karel L. van der Leeuw had attended a seminar with Matthew Lipman and subsequently introduced "children's philosophy" to Germany, invited me to a professional conference in Wildbad Kreuth. There I got to know Maughn R. Gregory, Lipman's successor. I was so impressed by the quality of work in this new movement that I resolved to publish for Germany an overview of its achievements in cooperation with Barbara Weber und Takara Dobashi. Then in Graz I also met Ann M. Sharp und Lipman's European student Daniela G. Camhy as well as many of his other students. These encounters resulted in many invitations, for example to South Africa from Lena Greene, to Brazil from Walter O. Kohan, to Canada from Susan T. Gardner, to Mexico from Wendy Turgeon and Eugenio Echeverria, and cooperative research projects like the one with Jen Glaser et al. "Narrative, Dreams, Imagination: Israeli and German Youth Imagine their Futures." Out of gratitude to the founder of this internationally unparalleled movement, Takara Dobashi, Barbara Weber and I wanted to put together a survey of what had been achieved; we sent out inquiries to all participating countries asking about theoretical developments in "Philosophizing with Children" and the experiences that had been gathered in these settings. The results were published in an anthology "Children Philosophize Worldwide. International Theoretical and Practical Concepts," dedicated to Matthew Lipman, Ann M. Sharp and Maughn R. Gregory. With this anthology we wanted to document for Matthew Lipman in concentrated form how very successful his life had been and how much influence his ideas had had. Matthew Lipman contributed the article "Philosophy for Children: Some Assumptions and Implications" and also this charming portrait, radiating great good humor and serenity: And so, although I never met Matthew Lipman in person, I am immensely indebted to his courage and engagement for an important part of my scholarly development and innumerable encounters with wonderful people who were likewise inspired by him. matthew lipman: testemonies and homages childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 186 Farzaneh Shahrtash National P4C teachers Association (NPTA) Islamic Republic of Iran Dear Matthew, We wish we could tell you how much we were excited when we first found out about P4C. We expect to bring our dreams for our children into reality by doing philosophy. We tried so hard to understand and do it for many years. Yes, you were right, the children are philosophers, but it is not always adults who are going to do philosophy with children. In some cases, the adults have lost their sense of logic, the use of reasoning, the meaning of ethics, and practice of democracy that is why we couldn't find suitable facilitators for practicing your program for our children although we tried to look everywhere and trained the volunteer teachers. You were right again, your program must be adapted to needs of different cultures but it is much more than changing names and foods and name of the streets. It has to be changed in a very deep layer of education. In our case, our children must become our facilitators in order to bring sense into our dialogues, meaning to our world, inquiry to our lives, and democracy to our society. We have failed to do philosophy with them because no matter how hard we tried, we don't know what it is and how it works. I think there are some places that P4C must be taught by children to their teachers and parents through their natural philosophical minds and manners. We just have to facilitate their way in order to make the basic foundation of peace for our next generations. I wish I could tell you that your program is not what we have to do for our kids but what our kids have to do for us. I wish you were here to tell our children how to practice "Philosophy for Adults." HOMANAJE A LIPMAN Flávio Tonnetti USP; UNIMES; Escola Experimental Pueri Domus, São Paulo, Brasil. Quando ouvimos de uma criança que "o tempo é como um trem, que não volta pra trás quando a gente passa por ele" podemos estar seguros de que nossa missão, como professores de filosofia, se cumpriu. Esse papel – o de ligar a palavra à criança, e dar à criança a possibilidade de iniciar-se no pensamento filosófico com os meios que ao alcance temos – talvez não fosse possível sem o trabalho de Matthew Lipman. Muitos me indagam como é possível ensinar existencialismo ou lógica às crianças ou mesmo aos adolescentes. E dou sempre a mesma resposta todas as vezes em que me param com este tipo de pergunta: "de modo simples". Penso que a tarefa do educador seja especificamente esta: ensinar com simplicidade. E que a tarefa da filosofia seja tratar esta simplicidade não com displicência, mas com o rigor ao qual o pensamento nos convida – ser simples, afinal, não é tarefa fácil. E seremos mais felizes todas as ocasiões em que esta simplicidade e esta seriedade possam instaurar um ambiente de leveza, em que se realize philosophy for children community childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 187 um convívio agradável, e em que possamos juntos, adultos e crianças, reafirmarmos nosso comprometimento com a construção de um mundo melhor. Enganam-se aqueles que pensam que grandes questões da humanidade, que encontraram abrigo e repouso dentro da história da filosofia – questões como o significado da 'vida', da 'liberdade', do 'pensamento', ou mesmo da 'morte' – não possam interessar às crianças. Enganam-se, pois crianças e adolescentes anseiam por indagar-se. Com avidez, querem tentar entender o que significam essas coisas que chamamos 'Deus', 'Amor' ou 'Arte' – são, afinal, coisas concretas, ausências ou abstrações? Quando estas questões aparecem no horizonte de meus alunos, e quando os mesmos se dão conta de que nem sempre as respostas para as questões que colocam são simples ou fáceis de serem encontradas, busco iniciá-los no diálogo. E quando isto ocorre, gosto de pensar o trabalho desta minha jornada como 'ponte', que nos une, sobretudo, uns aos outros – e a todas as coisas sobre as quais possamos repousar nosso pensamento. Não fosse a presença de Lipman, talvez este lugar que hoje ocupo nas escolas, como filósofo, e junto às crianças, não existisse. Não fosse o esforço de Lipman em fundar o pensamento para todas as idades como algo possível e real, eu não teria podido dividir meu "tempo" com tantos pequeninos alunos. Desejo apenas que o "trem" de Lipman avance, e que nele possamos subir em uma de suas tantas estações. PENSAR Y CREAR COMUNIDAD: EL LEGADO DE MATTHEW LIPMAN Gabriela Berti Filoempresa, España El último fin de semana del 2010 quedará marcado por la muerte de Matthew Lipman, que con 87 años y mermado por la enfermedad, seguía replanteando lo que había escrito en su juventud. Esa fuerza incansable para producir ideas, se refleja en su último libro, una autobiografía: A life teaching thinking (IAPC, 2008). El texto describe bien su trayectoria, no porque cuente la historia de su vida, sino porque desde el título muestra su inquietud por educar y aprender a deliberar filosóficamente, promoviendo el pensamiento crítico, retomando las preguntas filosóficas relevantes para la humanidad, reconociendo la importancia de los juicios argumentados. El interés de Lipman por hacer de la filosofía una herramienta práctica, está ligado a su primeros pasos académicos. Por un lado a la tradición griega de Aristóteles, pero primordialmente al pensamiento del pragmatista John Dewey, sobre el que hizo su tesis de doctorado. Dewey abrió a Lipman las puertas hacia una nueva visión de la filosofía y la pedagogía, como ejes de la democracia. Más allá de poner de relieve la figura de Lipman como un hombre significativo para la cultura contemporánea, su legado no se resume en una larga lista de libros, intervenciones en los medios masivos de comunicación, un film producido por la BBC, clases magistrales, cursos de formación y conferencias sino, muy especialmente, en su propuesta metodológica que enseña a hacer filosofía antes que a glosar la historia o escribir sobre la filosofía. Entonces la pertinencia de hablar sobre Matthew Lipman ya no se valida únicamente por su personalidad, sino porque supo provocar a alumnos, lectores y seguidores, para que cada uno fuera capaz de atreverse a pensar por sí mismo, a argumentar y a compartir las inquietudes con los demás. La idea de crear y pensar en una comunidad de investigación, enlaza esas capacidades con las comunidades de conocimiento y el trabajo común. matthew lipman: testemonies and homages childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 188 La filosofía para niños/as se pone en marcha por medio de narraciones, procedimientos dialógicos y actividades que ayudan a reflexionar, hacer preguntas y distinguir la dimensión de la existencia individual y común. Esta forma de practicar la filosofía no dice qué es lo que se debe pensar o qué es lo correcto, sino que invita a hacerlo en el marco de una comunidad de investigación, en la que se vivencia la dimensión de 'lo común' como parte de lo propio, asimilando la noción de comunidad. Si la historia de la filosofía remarcó la importancia de saber preguntar, Lipman amplificó la cuestión. Para él la indagación es una tarea colaborativa, en la que cada uno explica sus razones, proporciona evidencias (ejemplos y contraejemplos), examina supuestos, identifica emociones, analiza creencias y comparte el proceso haciendo crecer las ideas. El marco de toda comunidad de investigación está regido por el espíritu crítico y el respeto. Interiorizar estas prácticas involucra un compromiso con la razonabilidad y el falibilismo, como procedimientos básicos de la comunidad de indagación. Ello conlleva la puesta en valor de un pensamiento respetuoso de las normas, sin dejar de ser creativo e imaginativo. El legado de Matthew Lipman va más allá de las fronteras de la filosofía con niños, de la formación de educadores, puesto que desde diferentes ámbitos podemos nutrirnos de sus prácticas para asimilar la importancia de la relación entre pensar y convivir, para hacer de nuestros espacios cotidianos (el aula, el trabajo, familia, etc.) un lugar mejor, para enriquecernos con la escucha atenta y aprendiendo compartir -las ideas-. Se fue Lipman; un hombre comprometido con el tiempo que le tocó vivir, con la construcción de un futuro digno. Ahora nos queda a nosotros tomar su antorcha para seguir haciendo de la filosofía una disciplina viva del pensamiento. SUPER HERÓIS E A EDUCAÇÃO PARA PENSAR DE LIPMAN Gelson Weschenfelder UNISINOS, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil Um dos grandes ícones da cultura POP da atualidade é o ressurgimento dos super-heróis das histórias em quadrinhos. Graças às adaptações para a tela dos cinemas e animações na TV, toda criança conhece estes personagens, e busca interagir com estes em suas brincadeiras e momentos de lazer. Mas o que estes personagens podem trazer para nossas crianças? Além da finalidade de entreter, as Histórias em Quadrinhos (HQ's) apresentam questões importantes do cotidiano, como: responsabilidade pessoal e social, justiça, crime e castigo, emoções humanas, identidade pessoal, diferença, sentido da vida, amizade, amor. Os super-heróis ensinam pelo exemplo e mostram o bem e a justiça em ações concretas. Segundo Lipman, a sala de aula, teria de se devotar ao raciocínio, à investigação, à autoavaliação (A filosofia vai à escola. São Paulo, Summus Editorial, 1990. p.23). Para ele, devemos ensinar aos alunos como a sociedade funciona, pois a maneira como eles pensam que ela funciona irá, em seu devido tempo, influenciar a maneira como ela funciona (LIPMAN., op. cit. p.138). Mas como fazer as crianças entender e questionar o funcionamento da sociedade, levá-las a investigação e ao raciocínio? Uma educação voltada para o desenvolvimento da racionalidade, para Lipman, é o ideal, isto é, uma educação para o pensar. Mas como fazer isso hoje? Usar quais ferramentas pedagógicas? A escola deve preparar as mudanças necessárias para esta educação, elaborando programas de filosofia para crianças nas escolas. E as HQ's, poderiam ser este grande auxilio, elas servem de material didático para o aprendizado do philosophy for children community childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 189 pensar filosófico sobre sociedade, questões de gênero e diferença, e até mesmo, a questão do entendimento humano. Na ficção das páginas das HQ's, os super-heróis modificam a sociedade, tornando esta perfeita aos nossos olhos. Se usarmos estas histórias em sala de aula, com um programa de filosofia para crianças, esta ferramenta poderá auxiliar a educação, redimir a sociedade. Os super-heróis sairiam das páginas, para tornarem-se modelos críticos de nossa sociedade. Através do entretenimento as crianças assemelhariam melhor o conteúdo, entenderiam a sociedade, pois estas histórias não são tão inocentes assim, elas trazem na forma literal vivencias em nosso dia-a-dia. Os super-heróis das HQ's são ótimos exemplos a seguir. Eles nos ensinam o que fazer em diversas situações, mostrando sempre que o lado do bem é o caminho certo a seguir. As HQ's sempre foram pioneiras em trazer questões de suma importância à discussão para os meios de comunicação de massa, questões discutidas tão somente por ativistas e seus meios de comunicação restritos. As HQ's sempre se adaptaram ao contexto histórico. Mostrando os anseios da sociedade, tornando os super-heróis os guardiões da moral e da ética. Lipman foi um dos grandes incentivadores para minha pesquisa sobre super-heróis e a filosofia. O programa dele de educação filosófica para crianças, é necessário em nossas escolas. Por isso venho buscar nas HQ's, fundamentações filosóficas para auxilio às aulas de filosofia. Com esta ferramenta, as HQ's, poderíamos fazer muito bem a relação entre educação e sociedade, na qual Lipman fundamentava. WHAT MATTHEW LIPMAN BROUGHT ME Gilbert Talbot, Saguenay, Québec I came to know Dr. Matthew Lipman at a philosophy conference held in Montreal in 1986, during the annual Congress of the French Canadian Association for the Advancement of Science(ACFAS). Philosophy for Children was already working well in the US at that time. I got seduced right away by the Lipman approach which fitted so well with my own way of doing philosophy in my courses at the College level. I was already working on a kind of Community of Inquiry. I usually started my courses with students' questions, and we discussed them together. But the Lipman program brought me some other essential tools : a novel to read first and a manual full of exercises and discussion plans to help develop philosophical concepts and logic. After this first encounter, I decided to do my Masters and my Doctoral degree in Philosophy for Children, deepening more and more my understanding of Mat's thinking. I was coaching the Masters Students in Mendham when Kio and Gus was born. I was there also when he presented Elfie, the philosophy program for the first graders. I remember Mat laughing at the idea of seeing these six year old kids coming to school with the Elfie Manual under their arms : it was five hundred pages, and the novel was in three volumes! I think that the most important thing he brought me was the integration he made of critical, creative and caring thinking. To me Mat Lipman was first an aesthetician, because his own thinking was fundamentally creative, but when you join the development of thinking to philosophical discussion you become a peculiar kind of aesthetician : you become a Socratic aesthetician. That's actually what I claimed in my doctoral thesis on matthew lipman: testemonies and homages childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 190 philosophy for children, that I did at the University Iberoamericana, Mexico: I was a student there in the first doctoral program in philosophy for children. Today, I'm retired, but I keep on doing philosophy in a café of my home town. I'm still forming communities of inquiry, joining the American way developed by Matthew Lipman to the French café-philo developed by Marc Sautet. And you know what? It works very well! MATTHEW LIPMAN AND PHILOSOPHY FOR CHILDREN IN GREECE Grigorios Karafillis University of Ioannina, Greece The discipline of Philosophy for Children was almost unknown as an area of philosophical research in Greece until the year 2000. This new field of philosophical specialization had not attracted any interest among philosophers, and these kinds of issues in general were thought to be a matter of pedagogic science. I started working with Philosophy of Education in 1992, but I still hadn't approached the issue of Philosophy for Children, nor had any other philosopher in Greece. In 1998 I read Lipman's article on «Philosophy for Children», (Metaphilosophy, Vol.7, No.1, 1976, pp. 17-28) and then read his books: Philosophy goes to School, (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 22002) and Thinking in Education, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003). I was deeply influenced by Lipman's approach, which presented a unique and original philosophical path. I started working seriously within the field, and in 2002 I published the article «Philosophy for children and philosophies of children», at the volume Knowledge and Teaching in Elementary Education, (Ioannina, 2002, pp.293-311 (in greek). Since then and as time goes by, this are of philosophical inquiry has been constantly growing in Greece. In 2008 I participated in the scientific committee of the International Scientific Meeting in Philosophy – Philosophy, are you here? Doing philosophy with children, organized by Professor Theodoropoulou at the University of Aegean in Greece. In keeping with Lipman's spirit, Professor Tzavaras organized a scientific meeting titled «From teacher monologue to group dialogue: Philosophical thinking and research in primary education», at the University of Crete in Greece, with many papers delivered. In 2008, that same professor translated into Greek and published the work of J. Haynes, Children as Philosophers: Learning through enquiry and dialogue in the primary classroom, Routledge (Athens, Metechmio). Last but not least, it is interesting that my ph.D. Student, A. Kanavouras, completed his doctoral dissertation in Perception and understanding of philosophical concepts from children (in Greek), obviously influenced by Lipman's positions and especially by his book, Harry Stottlemeier's Discovery Consequently, I can claim that Μ. Lipman influenced decisively not only me, but also all the Greek researchers of Philosophy for Children. Thanks to him, primarily, this field of Philosophical interest was acknowledged, so as it can constitute one of the Sections at the 23rd World Congress of Philosophy that is scheduled to be held from 4th to 10th of August 2013, in Athens, Greece. philosophy for children community childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 191 ESTAMOS EN DEUDA CON MATT Irene de Puig GrupIREF, Barcelona La muerte de Matthew Lipman no nos ha sorprendido, pero nos ha dolido. Con él se ha ido un referente, una autoridad, un amigo. Nos ha dejado mucho más que conocimientos, nos ha precedido con una estela de sabiduría que lo convierte en maestro. Deudores de su labor, los educadores que trabajamos al amparo del proyecto Filosofía 3 /18 en Cataluña, le queremos rendir un sentido homenaje y mostrar nuestro agradecimiento tanto por su dedicación como por su maestría ejemplar. De su tenacidad, valentía, intuición y trabajo somos muchos los enseñantes que estamos en deuda con él: • Le debemos una nueva concepción de la filosofía, menos endiosada, más aplicable, entendida no como una materia especulativa al alcance de pocos, sino como una disciplina que puede colaborar a educar a los estudiantes en un espíritu de diálogo, ayudar en la resolución de los conflictos a través de la argumentación. Le debemos una nueva mirada a la infancia que nos abre una perspectiva de los niños más rica y mucho más fascinante. Lipman entendió que los niños tenían la capacidad de pensamiento abstracto desde una edad temprana, – como están demostrando hoy los estudios más avanzadosy por ello creyó que era posible una educación reflexiva desde muy pequeños. • Le debemos saber generar actitudes de reflexión. La posibilidad de tomar conciencia de los aspectos y temas que siempre han preocupado a los humanos permite a los jóvenes sentirse parte de esta humanidad y a la vez de ser más respetuosos y tolerantes. Le debemos haber creado una nueva aventura pedagógica. Le debemos la confección de un curriculum ejemplar para desarrollar el potencial de aprendizaje que tienen los niños y adolescentes. Desplegando en cada programa la capacidad de estructurar el pensamiento a través de las habilidades de pensamiento • Le debemos la introducción del diálogo en el aula, no la mera expresión oral o la conversación, sino el verdadero diálogo entre iguales y la investigación conjunta como un medio para acceder al conocimiento.. • Le debemos haber aprendido a ser mejores cuestionadores, a dar más importancia a las preguntas que a las respuestas, a ser más inquisitivos y más rigurosos, más analíticos. • Le debemos una concepción educativa cooperativa que se opone a la tradición competitiva de la enseñanza. Aunque este espíritu se encuentra en otros modelos educativos, en el caso de Lipman, la cooperación ayuda a ver a los demás como personas que pueden ayudar y no como rivales. • Le debemos que nos haya legado un método de aprendizaje, donde se entrelazan la expresión emocional y el aprendizaje cognitivo, la educación del juicio individual y la naturaleza social de la persona. • Le debemos la valentía de haber quebrado la enseñanza compartimentada, centrada en el maestro y en la obediencia cuyos objetivos son los niveles educativos y no los intereses de los niños, sus necesidades y habilidades. • Le debemos haber sabido conjuntar algunas ideas derivadas de pragmatismo americano, especialmente de la influencia de John Dewey y su acercamiento a la matthew lipman: testemonies and homages childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 192 psicología cognitiva, a través de autores como L. Vigotski y J. Bruner y a la corriente de pensamiento crítico. • Le debemos, pues, una nueva visión de la filosofía, de la infancia, del alumnado, de la escuela, del aprendizaje y de la vida. Y por encima de todo le debemos la lección de su humildad intelectual y personal. Alguien que pudiendo haber sido un "gurú", venerado por los medios, se circunscribió a los pocos metros cuadrados de la casita del IAPC, en el campus de Montclair. Con su mirada miope pero penetrante, siguió con prudencia -y una cierta sorpresala difusión de su propuesta en todos los continentes. Jana Mohr Lone Northwest Center for Philosophy for Children Department of Philosophy, University of Washington I met Mat in 1995 at an August Mendham seminar, which had been recommended to me by Gary Matthews. I came to Mendham knowing almost nothing about the IAPC. Immediately plunged into philosophy for children sessions there, the work that Mat was doing took my breath away. What most inspired me was the development of the community of philosophical inquiry and the way in which it invariably led to deep and authentic philosophical discussions, of the kind I rarely saw at the graduate level in my university. I was so excited by Mat's work and the possibilities for introducing philosophy to children that I returned to Seattle and started the Northwest Center for Philosophy for Children within the next few months, while I was finishing my dissertation in philosophy at the University of Washington. I have been working in this field ever since. I cannot overstate my debt to Mat Lipman for his pioneering work, which inspired and grounded my work and the work of so many others, as well as for the genuine kindness and support he always showed me. RECORDANDO A MATTHEW LIPMAN José María Calvo España Eran los años ochenta y yo buscaba caminos, senderos, luces o sombras. No lo sé. Deambulaba errante por las aulas repitiendo lo que me habían enseñado como alumno. Yo era profesor de filosofía, y sentía una gran insatisfacción con lo que sucedía en el aula. Los resultados que observaba a mi alrededor eran sobre todo fracasos, suspensos, incomprensión de la filosofía cuando no odio a la misma y al propio profesor. Pensaba que mis alumnos eran unos irresponsables. Algo había que hacer. Esta era mi noche oscura. Y entonces apareció él y vi una luz. V Congreso de Filosofía y juventud. Le acompañaba su voz en español, el inseparable Eugenio Echevarría. Escuché su inesperada ponencia y mis ojos ciegos comenzaron a ver. Entusiasmado por lo que acababa de escuchar no daba crédito a mis oídos cuando surgió la voz de un "compañero": ¿Podemos dejar ya la filosofía, los niños y estas zarandajas y comenzar a hablar en serio? Y como había que hablar muy en serio nos callamos, pero continuamos el taller de filosofía para niños. philosophy for children community childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 193 Con unos compañeros de taller extraordinarios comenzamos la nueva aventura de la unión entre filosofía, educación y niños. El niño, la persona como sujeto activo de su propia educación. Y aprendí a practicar el respeto, aunque íbamos aprendiendo su sentido dentro de la comunidad. Y surgió la comunidad de investigación en el aula, y el diálogo como guía. La filosofía no era el fin del aprendizaje, sino un medio para el desarrollo de la persona. Fui tan afortunado que Matthew y Ann me invitaron a hacer el Master en "Fine Arts", traducido en FpN, "Aprender a pensar por sí mismo". Y me fui a Montclair. El año y pico que pasé en Montclair nunca se borrará de mi mente y de mi corazón. Todavía conservo fotografías y escritos. Pero sobre todo conservo los recuerdos de todos los compañeros y sobre todo de las dos personas que más han influido en toda mi vida, y ya soy mayor. Quiero proclamar junto a otros compañeros, que soy otro enano subido a hombros de gigantes. No sé si he llegado a ver muy lejos, pero si no ha sido así, se debe a mi propia miopía. No es el momento de hablar hoy del programa, pero no puedo callar el sentido de una educación en valores: en y para la democracia, en y para el diálogo, la tolerancia, la libertad, el respeto, la paz. Y aprendí a aprender durante toda mi vida, a darme cuenta de que solo sé que no sé nada, a no tener respuestas, a preguntar y a preguntarme, a buscar para descubrir y ayudar a construir. Me habéis ayudado a descubrir tantas cosas que sería imposible escribirlas aquí. Sobre todo a ser feliz dentro del aula. Mi vida cambió radicalmente, creo que para bien. Y se lo debo, sobre todo a dos personas. Gracias Mat, gracias Ann. Sé que seguís ahí, os siento, os sentimos. Permaneceréis para siempre con nosotros. HOMENAJE A MATTHEW LIPMAN Julio Santiago Cubillos Bernal Universidad del Valle, Colombia El doctor Matthew Lipman ha muerto, pero su obra ha quedado y muchos de sus discípulos continuaremos su labor. Cuando los sociólogos y psicólogos de la Educación no daban un peso por la transformación de la Escuela, en la década de los sesenta, Lipman propone su Programa de Filosofía para Niños, una verdadera revolución al interior del salón de clases. La escuela debe enseñar y permitir pensar y esto lo debe hacer lo más pronto posible, desde el preescolar. Sus ocho novelas con sus respectivos manuales para el profesor, en forma graduada, posibilitan que los niños no pierdan su capacidad natural: su capacidad de asombro y aprendan a pensar por sí mismos. Inspirado en la filosofía y pedagogía de John Dewey quiere corregir el rumbo de la escuela, quiere corregir el terrible error que se ha venido cometiendo: enseñar a memorizar en vez de pensar. Aprender el resultado de las investigaciones en las distintas disciplinas sin pensar el problema que dio origen a dicha respuesta, a dicha investigación. Lipman pone en práctica la filosofía de John Dewey y con ella las bases de una verdadera democracia: Formar ciudadanos que piensen por sí mismos. La Escuela debe matthew lipman: testemonies and homages childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 194 permitir el pensar y este pensar por sí mismos se logra en la comunidad de indagación, donde el niño y el adolescente, a partir de unas reglas de juego pactadas desde el comienzo, entre el profesor y los educandos, se investiga y reflexiona sobre un tema determinado, que puede ser producto de la lectura previa de un capítulo o episodio de una de las novelas o de la vida cotidiana. Se elige un objeto que será el símbolo de quien tiene la palabra en el diálogo abierto. Se busca con ello el respeto al orden de la palabra, el aprender a escuchar al otro y a argumentar lógicamente. Nuestro grupo de investigación en Educación y Filosofía de la Universidad del Valle, se entusiasmó con su propuesta, pero quisimos aportar nuestro granito de arena al bautizar la actitud del que participa en dicha comunidad como actitud filosófica. Los primeros resultados de nuestra investigación sobre la actitud filosófica en varios filósofos salió publicada en un libro que denominamos: Educar para pensar. La Actitud Filosófica: un concepto en formación. Le enviamos una ejemplar al doctor Lipman, quien muy amablemente nos agradeció dicho envío en una carta fechada el 8 de febrero del año 2000 y felicitó al grupo por dar este paso tan arriesgado. El grupo de investigación en Educación y Filosofía retoma el concepto de actitud filosófica de Husserl y Dewey para enriquecerlo, y la propuesta pedagógica de Kant de buscar en el proceso educativo que los educandos adquieran la mayoría de edad al aprender a pensar por sí mismos. La "actitud filosófica" es una postura frente al mundo, el saber, la sociedad y ante uno mismo. Es la actitud de quien busca pensar por sí mismo, ser crítico frente a los supuestos fundamentales de las disciplinas, del saber y la sociedad. UN CULTIVO EN EL MUNDO DESDE EL LEGADO DE M. LIPMAN: ENSEÑAR FILOSOFÍA, APRENDER A PENSAR POR SÍ MISMO Liliana J. Guzmán Universidad Nacional de San Luis, Argentina A su modo, cada hombre deja su rastro en el Mundo en su tránsito por esta corta estancia en la Tierra. Cada ser nutre el tiempo de la mejor manera que puede cultivar y hacer de la patria del pensar su morada y lenguaje. No sé si sucede lo mismo con todos los mortales pero sí parece que fue el caso de Mathew Lipman, que cultivó su existencia desde una profunda vocación de conocimiento en educación, lógica y filosofía. Y que desde esa vocación de conocimiento, inauguró o le dio una forma escolarizada (bajo el nombre de "programa de filosofía para niños") a una práctica que los hombres cultivan desde la noche de los tiempos: el pensar, y la tarea del pensar según ciertas guías o direcciones que -al menos en nuestra cultura occidentalhunde sus raíces en dos tradiciones intrínsecas al pensamiento mismo: la tradición oral y la tradición escrita. Aquella ocurrencia de ese profesor americano que en los senderos de John Dewey tuvo a bien proponer un modo de enseñanza de la filosofía desde el colegio secundario para prevenir deserciones en el ingreso a la universidad, se desarrolló teóricamente como lo que luego se conociera como "programa FpN", pero tomó forma de experiencia educativa en un doble horizonte de prácticas específicas: de un lado promoviendo la lectura de los clásicos, del otro innovando el concepto de "comunidad de indagación" como ejercicio del diálogo en clase de filosofía a partir de la lectura de situaciones o textos específicos. Sobre los clásicos, Lipman recuperó una pasión que (al menos en estas latitudes) no estaba en su mejor momento en la segunda mitad del siglo XX: la lectura de los clásicos, en adolescentes y niños en edad escolar. Harry Stottlemeyer no es sólo una reivindicación de philosophy for children community childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 195 Aristóteles... es también ese giro de la educación a la escuela de Platón, y al tiempo donde los hombres pensaban con imágenes, donde la filosofía dialogaba con la poesía para procurar la formación del "espíritu pensante", esa armonía de conocimiento científico, responsabilidad moral y capacidad de representación poética en la psyche (E. Havelock, 1994). Por otra parte, Lipman aporta el concepto de "comunidad de indagación": quizás hay allí un amable retorno a aquella lección tan bellamente impartida en el diálogo Fedro, acerca de si el pensamiento y la experiencia del logos como lugar de la memoria es escritura y/u oralidad... fármaco de la memoria en un caso, tejido del olvido en el otro. Como fuere, la posibilidad del pensamiento fluye de ese jardín de las letras y "se escribe en el alma del que aprende" (Fedro 276a), y no hacia otro lugar sino hacia ese jardín de las letras donde fluye y se cultiva el pensamiento es quizás al que aspira todo auténtico profesor de filosofía, tal parece haber sido el caso de Lipman. Pues en el legado de Lipman, con o sin el nombre como el que fuera conocido, con o sin la guía sistemática de propuestas para el aula escolar, la señal por la vocación del pensar se constituye en un ejercicio teórico y en una práctica tejida de ese doble través de la experiencia del pensamiento: el retorno al texto escrito, y el fluir del diálogo en el seno de una comunidad de iguales que buscan pensar con el auxilio del logos y la guía de un docente comprometido con la pasión por enseñar filosofía como camino para el cultivo de sí y capacidad de pensar por sí mismo. O como Platón enseña en Fedro: de la filosofía como la escuela de la memoria, como ejercicio del pensamiento que fluye en el jardín de las letras, como experiencia de un juego (paidá) del pensar donde el acontecimiento filosófico "se escribe en el alma del que aprende". Quizás no de otra cosa se trate el juego de educar... quizás no de otra cosa se ocupó la propuesta educadora de Lipman: nos inspiró a enseñar filosofía sin atribuciones a lo pedante o las modas, nos inspiró a enseñar a pensar desde el juego de la palabra filosófica que, a modo escrito u oral, escribe su trazo en el alma de quien aprende, de quien aprende a pensar por sí mismo. HOMMAGE TO MATTHEW LIPMAN Marcel Voisin, Marie-Pierre Grosjean PhARE (Analyse, Recherche et Education en Philosophie pour Enfants) We know that, since the '70, Matthew Lipman, together with a team among whom was Ann Sharp, who also died this year, committed himself totally to his program dedicated to the liberation of thought through education. Nominated Dr Honoris Causa of the University of Mons in 1994, he gave a paper where he said that education doesn't consist simply in the memory developement, but it addresses itself to the highest forms of thinking. Then his hope is that philosophy will contribute to elevate the quality of education to the highest level for the child in his or her totality. Learning to think, developing a higher order of thinking to live better and more democratically was his objective as a passionate and a consistent humanist. After Marie-Pierre Grosjean-Doutrelepont's fruitful participation to seminars in Montclair, he gave her the responsibility to introduce this program in the French speaking part of Belgium. It is why our association PhARE (Analyse, Recherche et Education en Philosophie pour Enfants), since 1992, has worked out to the expansion of the program, in fidelity with Lipman's ideas. matthew lipman: testemonies and homages childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 196 We thank Matthew Lipman from the depth of our hearts for his academic humility and his courage to engage himself to pedagogy. This seldom happens, and the service he brought to children's condition is particularily moving. He understood that the role of philosophy is to make life better, to exalt the wish to know, to stimulate critical thinking, to become a way of living through a thinking liberated from the heaviness of the past and of prejudices. His program and his ideas are not only beneficial for children, but also for adults, because seeking such excellence helps them to understand better the world where they live and to evaluate better the values and the stakes. We thank him also because of his work to encourage democracy and the human rights from the youngest age, particularly thanks to his philosophical community of inquiry. And also because he tried to stimulate and deepen a spirit of freedom and of responsibility in everybody's conscience. Though he knew that it was a long and difficult task, he committed himself entirely to this program, with extreme and quiet patience, aware of the fact that his ideas and intentions would sometimes be misunderstood or even transformed. Day after day, he further realized, with his team, that program called P4C, an exceptional tool permitting the development of the mind and the wish to understand in all educational situations. Dear Matthew Lipman, in our own name as in the name of all the children in the world to whom you offer the joy of knowing, an intellectual fulfillment and the happiness to realize themselves, an immense, inalterable thank you ! BOAS LEMBRANÇAS DE MATTHEW LIPMAN Marcos Antônio Lorieri UNINOVE, São Paulo, Brasil Lipman chegou primeiro entre nós com a idéia de Filosofia para Crianças apresentada por Catherine Young Silva numa reunião na Secretaria da Educação de São Paulo e em seguida numa palestra na PUCSP organizada por ela e proferida por Ann Margaret Sharp em novembro de 1984. Convidado por Catherine levei meus alunos do Curso de Filosofia. Entre eles Ana Luíza Falcone e Sylvia J. Hamburger Mandel tradutoras das novelas e manuais. Em fevereiro de 1985 foi fundado o Centro Brasileiro de Filosofia para Crianças que promoveu um curso de um mês neste ano em São Paulo; foi quando conhecemos Lipman pessoalmente. Ele e Ann M. Sharp trabalharam na formação dos primeiros professores de Filosofia que se dedicaram ao estudo e preparação de monitores do PFC. Nos intervalos do curso Ana Luiza, Sylvia e eu fomos com ele a três escolas públicas da periferia de São Paulo onde já trabalhávamos com o Programa. Ele participou de algumas aulas com as crianças (Sylvia e Ana Luiza serviam como intérpretes), dialogou com elas sobre a história da Pimpa e fez revelações sobre sua vida ao responder a uma das crianças que lhe perguntou se era casado. Respondeu que sim e pela segunda vez. Disse a elas que sua primeira mulher era negra, foi uma importante participante da vida política em Nova Jersey tendo sido Senadora e que dela se separara talvez porque se dedicava muito aos afazeres da política. Uma das crianças perguntou-lhe se havia feito as histórias e o Programa de Filosofia para Crianças pensando primeiro nas crianças ou na sua carreira. Surpresa geral. Lipman lhe disse que realmente havia pensado na sua carreira, mas junto havia sim pensado nas crianças. Pois gostaria que todas pudessem filosofar, pois julgava isso muito importante. Nesse mesmo dia, à noite, fez uma conferência philosophy for children community childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 197 na PUCSP. Disse aos presentes que tinha ficado muito bem impressionado com as crianças pela sua curiosidade e interesse e fez o seguinte comentário: os olhos dessas crianças são diferentes dos olhos das crianças pobres de países ricos por onde tenho andado; nesses olhos vejo esperança, o que não vejo em meu país. Talvez porque os pobres de lá já não enxergam saída para sua condição. Numa das escolas Lipman experimentou bolo de mandioca: apreciou-o muito e repetiu elogiando a mãe de aluno que o havia feito. Ele voltou ao Brasil por mais duas vezes: em 1988 para um Congresso em Maringá no Paraná. Foi uma oportunidade para todos nós de conversarmos muito com ele. De volta a São Paulo pediu para verificarmos a possibilidade de uma conversa sua com Paulo Freire. Com a ajuda de Moacir Gadotti a conversa aconteceu. Em 1994 veio participar do I Encontro Nacional de Educação para o Pensar em Florianópolis, SC. Passando, na volta por São Paulo, encontrou-se novamente com Paulo Freire. Com uma bolsa de estudos participei em Mendham de Seminário de 20 dias, em 1991, coordenado por Lipman. Pedi a ele para nos dizer de suas principais referências teóricas, o que não lhe agradou muito. Mas, em um dos dias entregou-me duas folhas manuscritas com os nomes de pensadores que o tinham especialmente influenciado. Anexo cópia delas. As idéias de Lipman chegaram primeiro que sua pessoa entre nós. Sua pessoa se foi. Suas idéias continuam entre nós: é uma maneira de ele ficar conosco, pois, como pergunta num dos planos de discussão no Manual de Pimpa, as idéias não fazem parte da gente? matthew lipman: testemonies and homages childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 198 MAT LIPMAN, "WITH DEWEY, BEYOND DEWEY" Maura Striano University of Naples Federico II, Italy In an interview I conducted with Matthew Lipman for an Italian educational review, he affirmed that Philosophy for Children was a "Deweyan way to go beyond Dewey." Indeed, Dewey's ideas regarding education and the cultural, political and social role of philosophy are deeply embedded in the design of the curriculum and in the ideation of the model of the community of philosophical inquiry. However, the most prominent and deep Deweyan legacy is to be found in the whole pedagogical project that Lipman developed in over thirty years of work, leading towards the constitution of a true, intercultural and international educational movement, aimed at promoting dialogue and democracy. This project is grounded on few, sound, pedagogical beliefs: a) the acknowledgment of the necessity to educate for reflective thinking, considered to be an articulated, complex and multidimensional device useful for giving meaning to human experience through a critical, creative, caring approach; b) the acknowledgment of the educational need for a continuous self correction and opening up of new perspectives, in order to counter the narrowness and partiality of self-centered and monological thinking, which is the enemy of human and social growth; c) the acknowledgment of the educational role of communities conceived as the context of human "transactions" which model the development of a form of thinking that first of all inter-individual and then intra-individual, in a Peirceian and Vygotskijan perspective. These beliefs are the root of a powerful educational revolution, which is extremely important and significant in today's global situation. This revolution is aimed at "giving reason" (as Donald Schön would say) to children, adolescents and adults, promoting the development of a reflective attitude towards their experience and their life but, most of all, empowering them with a rigorous method of inquiry, helpful in finding new meanings and sense through a shared process of co-construction of ideas, opinions and theories that are the byproduct of continuous negotiations and transactions, on the basis of a mutual listening, respect, and valuation. This can become possible only if the "reason" at stake is "philosophical" reason--a flexible, "weak", "zethetic" device, which is the only tool that can be used to construct and maintain democracy, if the latter is understood, as Dewey would say it, as a "form of associated life" and not as a form of governance. From this perspective we can say that, through Philosophy for Children, Lipman has made extremely concrete and practical the connection between democracy and education that Dewey explored theoretically in the first part of the 20th century. Education can promote the development of a true democracy only in so far as it promotes growth in reflectiveness and self-reflectiveness both at an individual and collective level, using the most complex tool mankind has constructed and refined over time-philosophical reasoning--in order to reacha deeper and deeper understanding of human experience. Philosophical reasoning is understood here as a particular form of inquiry which grows and develops in continuity with (and not in opposition to) those other forms of inquiry through which humans explore and construct knowledge and understanding. In this pedagogical syllogism, which poses "philosophy" as the middle term between "education" and "democracy" we can therefore acknowledge the powerful step beyond Dewey which Lipman has made with his great and visionary educational project. philosophy for children community childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 199 HOMMAGE A M. LIPMAN Michel Tozzi Université de Montpellier, France Je n'ai eu connaissance des travaux de M. Lipman qu'en 1998, par une institutrice motivée par sa méthode. J'avais été intéressé par les expériences en classe de 6ième (10 ans) du Greph (Groupe de recherche sur l'enseignement philosophique), fondé par J. Derrida en France dans les années 1975. Mais je ne pensais pas que l'on pouvait faire de la philosophie avec des enfants très jeunes. Il est vrai que l'idéologie de l'enseignement philosophique français soutient que l'on ne peut commencer la philosophie qu'après avoir accumulé des savoirs et acquis de la maturité psychique, c'est-à dire en fin de scolarité. Cette innovation me passionna. J'avais en effet publié une thèse : « Contribution à une didactique de l'apprentissage du philosopher », sous la direction de Philippe Meirieu, en 1992. Il s'agissait d'enseigner autrement la philosophie en classe terminale (18 ans). Serait-ce donc possible bien avant? Je pris alors conscience de convergences entre la méthode de M. Lipman et mes propres travaux, menés indépendamment depuis une dizaine d'année : une finalité démocratique, une importance accordée à la discussion, des exigences intellectuelles dans la conduite du groupe... Et c'est ce qui m'a déterminé à engager des pratiques, recherches et formations avec de jeunes enfants. Sans M. Lipman, mes recherches n'auraient jamais pris cette orientation depuis 12 ans, et je le remercie infiniment, parce qu'il a été pour moi de ces quelques rares personnes qui comptent dans l'itinéraire intellectuel d'un homme. Nasrin Ebrahimi Translator and advocate of P4C in Iran Great men often are best known after their death, for they think and act somehow ahead of their time. Though he was known during his fruitful life among those whose hearts beat for children's thought development, there's still much to be known about Matthew Lipman's wonderful initiative in making Socratic inquiry method practicable for young children. Eight years ago, when I heard about the P4C movement for the first time, and read his philosophical novel Lisa , I felt a pure joy deep in my heart that words cannot express. It seemed that one of my sweetest dreams had come true. And when I heard of his saddening demise, I became as distressed as if I've just lost a dearest kin of mine--a grandfather, a caring teacher, a leader... May the day come when the world of education recognizes and appreciates his heart-felt endeavors by locating P4C at the center of its curricular landscape. God bless his great soul. With best regards. matthew lipman: testemonies and homages childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 200 TO MATTHEW LIPMAN Nicole Decostre As Matthew Lipman's translator into French, I want to express my gratitude for all I learned from him, for what it changed in my personal as well as my professional life. As teacher in History since 1962, in a secondary school and after that in an institute for future teachers, I have always regretted that many of my students didn't think deeply, satisfied by a passive knowledge of dates and facts. When Marie-Pierre Grosjean offered me Thinking in Education, in 1992, I realized that those students didn't have the tools for thinking : most of them hadn't been taught how to think! Having begun to read that book for myself, I quickly decided to translate it because I wanted to make it accessible to French speakers. The translation was published in Belgium, in 1995, by De Boeck publisher (the second edition was published in 2006). When I retired in 2000, I became the secretary of the PhARE association and I decided to translate Mark, Social Inquiry which was published in 2009 by Peter Lang. This publisher has asked me to continue to translate, because of the quality and of the success of this book. I am now working on Lisa, Ethical Inquiry, to be published in 2011. I am very happy to have met Professor Lipman in 1994 when he was honoured as Dr Honoris Causa in the University of Mons (Belgium). We discussed some problems of the translation. After that, we exchanged several letters and emails. He always encouraged me and, as he spoke French quite well, I sent him a few chapters of my work. But most of all, what I am grateful for, is that that beautiful experience has helped me to understand better and to deepen the understanding of society, to reflect to things that I considered as acquired, to always revise my own conceptions of values, of philosophical concepts. I also discovered the power of a work in community of inquiry. Many thinkers since ancient times have spoken of education (Socrates, Montaigne and many others), and some had very original ideas. But to me, the great specificity of Matthew Lipman is that he did not remain on a theoretical level but that he constructed such a complete program which can be utilized by people of all over the world. It is why I want to thank him sincerely and to bring my testimony at the moment of his death. In order to promote that program I'll continue to translate his books as I can, in the same spirit and for the defense of our democracy and for the happiness and cleverness of the youth. Such an experience based on the promotion of a real education also gives hope for a better world MEMOIR OF MATTHEW LIPMAN Nimet Küçük Istanbul, Turkey My name is Nimet Küçük. I have been teaching philosophy and a thinking in education course (Philosophy for Children) in primary and secondary school in Istanbul, Turkey. Next semester, I will start teaching a course called "Thinking Education and Philosophy for Children" at the university. I will also continue researching and writing articles about philosophy for/with children. I am very sorry that we have lost Dr. Matthew Lipman, the pioneer of Philosophy for Children. Luckily, I had the philosophy for children community childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 201 pleasure of meeting him at Mendham in 2000. I had emailed him, and we had decided to meet at Mendham. At that time I was a Ph.D. student in Turkey and we talked about the possibility of writing a thesis about philosophy for children. He shared a few philosophical conversations with me during my visit. He also suggested many references. In 2003, I had finished my Ph.D. degree in philosophy and started teaching philosophy and thinking education course in schools. In 2006, I was awarded an IAPC grant for attending an advanced philosophy for children seminar in Mendham. When I arrived at the IAPC at MSU, Joanne suggested that I visi Dr. Lipman at his residence. We went there together. I was very happy to see him after six years but he was ill. He wasn't able to speak with me, but he did listen to me; I told him what I had done in philosophy for children in Turkey since 2000. I understood that remembered me and that my words made him happy. Then I went to Mendham to attend the P4C advanced seminar. I had a very productive time there; I learned a lot from Ann Sharp and Maughn Gregory. Before we left St. Marguerite's Retreat House, we had a surprise: Dr. Lipman came to visit us. I felt so lucky that I had another chance to meet him again. I spent some time with him there, and he signed his books for me. I am really very glad to have met this precious person, and am deeply addened by his death. I will keep working on my research, and pursuing the theory and practice of Philosophy for Children in Turkey. My condolences and sympathies to the family of Mr. Lipman. IN MEMORY OF MATTHEW LIPMAN Nina Yulina Russia My acquaintance with Matthew Lipman was an important event in my life. When in 1992 I heard the telephone ring in my flat in Moscow and a velvety low voice (Lipman's) asked me "would you like to take part in a seminar in "philosophy for children" in Montclair?" I said "of course." I was happy to visit the US, though I thought that such seminar would be something like talks about Lev Tolstoy's moralistic stories for children. I was mistaken - this was quite different thing, really the new word in philosophy and pedagogics. Taking a closer look at Lipman's works and the P4C program, I understood that he was an extraordinary thinker. I was impressed by his extensive knowledge of different branches of culture, but the main feature that I recognized was that he was an innovator who paved new ways in philosophy and education. He was subtle psychologist who succeeded in finding the right key to adapt philosophy to the mental possibilities of children, and to promote their natural intellectual curiosity. Previously there were many discussions about turning philosophy into praxis and making it serve civic and humanistic purposes. Lipman's "Philosophy for Children" program is a fully adequate response to this demand. In the beginning of the 1990's, Lipman sometimes visited Moscow, conducted conferences and school lessons. He saw that after the downfall of the communist ideology, Russian education was at a crossroads. He understood that young people were in danger of victimization by the general mental disorientation of our culture. He told us that in order not to lose the younger generation we would have to make every effort to teach children to reason well, and encouraged us to set school education on the right track by teaching children such skills as good critical reasoning, thinking-for-oneself, ethical competence and tolerance. matthew lipman: testemonies and homages childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 202 Inspired by his ideas, I wrote the article "Teaching Reasoning" for the newspaper "Transactions." The response to my article was that now the central themes in Russia were politics and economics, not education. But after about 20 years, Lipman's warning about a lost generation have come true. Now there is much talk in newspapers and TV about the moral indifference, social nihilism and aggressiveness of our youth. Some people blame families, but most accuse state educational officials and bad educational strategies. But in fact the no real strategies have appeared yet. The simple idea which Lipman repeated in all his works--namely, that such skills as good reasoning, ethical maturity, tolerance and democratic dispositions need systematic and long-term teaching, as well as the teaching of linguistic and mathematical skills, and that philosophical instruments are the best for meeting these needs--our educational officials find this idea extravagant. The deaths of Matthew Lipman and Ann Sharp are a great loss for the world community of Philosophy for children. These two outstanding thinkers and teachers may well be called dreamers, who believed in the power of human reason and education to change our world into a more just and peaceful one. But they were practical utopians. Their ideas have found their way into the educational and cultural institutions of many countries. Explicitly or implicitly their ideas are working even in the regions where established centers of Philosophy for Children do not yet exist. AO REDOR DE LIPMAN Paula Ramos UNESP, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brasil Provavelmente nada disso teria acontecido se, naquele dia, Ari não tivesse ficado distraído na aula de Ciências. O professor Batista estava falando do sistema solar e de como todos os planetas giram em torno do Sol. Ari simplesmente parou de escutar porque surgiu em sua cabeça a imagem de um grande Sol ardendo em chamas com todos os pequenos planetas girando, sem parar, à sua volta. (Lipman, A descoberta de Ari dos Telles) Provavelmente nada disso teria acontecido se, naquele dia, Lipman não tivesse começado a escrever A descoberta de Ari dos Telles. Nessa sua primeira novela filosófica nasceram crianças, professores, um diretor, uma escola. Certamente escolheu cada palavra do primeiro parágrafo dessa novela, a qual, juntamente com as posteriores, forma o conjunto do que ficou conhecido como o currículo de sua proposta. A imagem deste parágrafo inaugural é forte e dela não nos esquecemos jamais. Situação corriqueira das escolas: um professor a falar e um aluno distraído. O que é uma distração? É uma atenção dada a um outro lugar que não àquele que se espera. Ari parou de escutar sim. Distraiu-se, mas não por falta de interesse – talvez por excesso. As palavras foram ficando silenciosas e tornaram-se imagem: "a de um grande Sol ardendo em chamas com todos os pequenos planetas girando, sem parar, à sua volta." O tempo de Ari é outro. Ari está em outro tempo. Ari está em seu próprio tempo. philosophy for children community childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 203 Ali começou uma história. Uma história diferente. Chega o fim da última aula, antes das férias. Chega o final da primeira novela: Marcos e Maria foram para casa juntos; Luísa e Fabiana saíram ainda discutindo quem estava errado e quem estava certo. Beto saiu sozinho e acenou para Ari, que lhe acenou de volta Ari e Toninho saíram juntos, mas quase não conversaram. Laura, logo atrás, observava os meninos indo embora; Ana e Satie saíram, e a sala ficou quase vazia. Só o professor Sampaio ainda estava lá, sentado à mesa, na sala silenciosa. Ele disse para si mesmo: Às vezes erros graciosos corrigem a caverna. Ele gostou de como aquilo soava. Gostou da idéia. E, mais uma vez, disse para si mesmo: Às vezes erros graciosos corrigem a caverna. O professor Sampaio sorriu, pegou as suas coisas, fechou a porta da sala e desceu as escadas pulando de dois em dois degraus, até a porta da escola. Da janela seu Peixoto observava o professor descendo a rua rapidamente. (LIPMAN, 1990, p. 54) As crianças não são mais as mesmas. Nem o professor. Nem o diretor. Com isto sonhava Lipman. E enquanto ele falava, escrevia e filosofava seu sonho, outras crianças e adultos, parecendo distraídos, foram imaginando um grande Sol ardendo em chamas com todos os pequenos planetas girando, sem parar, à sua volta. Lipman continua a brilhar e, ao seu redor, diversos pequenos planetas giram sem parar. TESTIMONIO A LIPMAN Pablo Flores del Rosario Instituto Superior de Ciencias de la Educación, Estado de México, División Académica Chalco En Mayo de 1994, asistí al que se llamó "Taller Nacional para la Enseñanza de la Filosofía", realizado por la UIA en Puebla, México. En este taller conocí a Ann M. Sharp, un personaje sin igual, por ser el tipo de persona que fue y por el dominio del proceso metacognitivo que lograba realizar durante la coordinación del trabajo en Comunidad de Indagación, que de entrada nos llevaba a pensar sobre aquello que pensamos. Aquí fue donde tuve mi primer acercamiento al programa de Filosofía para Niños. En agosto de 1994, prepare maletas para pasar el seminario de verano en el IAPC, que se desarrolló en la Casa de Retiro de Saint Margaret, en New Jersey. En este seminario pude conocer a M. Lipman. Le escuche una clase magistral sobre el juicio, que empezó con los griegos, atravesó la edad media y terminó en la época moderna. La hora y media que duró la clase fue impresionante, porque hubo un extraordinario dominio en un tema, aparentemente sencillo. Sobre todo si se toma en cuenta que sólo conocía las tesis tomistas sobre el tópico, que es parte de la cultura estándar en los libros de lógica en México, aún hoy. Aun recuerdo la voz pausada, sin prisa alguna, como pensando cada pensamiento antes de ser expresado. Y la claridad de cada pensamiento a la luz de la serie de interpretaciones que hacía de los diferentes filósofos trabajados en su articulación personal sobre el juicio. Aunado a esta fuerte impresión de su breve clase, poco a poco fui conociendo el inmenso trabajo que podía colocarlo como creador de una rama de la Filosofía: Filosofía para Niños. Todo esto provocó cambios en mi perspectiva personal sobre el trabajo académico, sobre la escuela, la docencia, y el estudiantado. matthew lipman: testemonies and homages childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 204 Una de las formas de concretar la impresión que me provocó Lipman, fue la organización, junto con varios profesores mexicanos, de los Coloquios y al final Congresos Internacionales de Filosofía para Niños, que se mantienen desde 1998. Los coloquios que hemos organizado responden a la necesidad de mantener vivo el pensamiento del Dr. M. Lipman. Pero una forma de hacerlo, es manteniendo una discusión con su pensamiento, desde varios lugares, entre ellos el pedagógico, y desde luego el Filosófico. Discusiones que terminan por interpelar a un actor emergente: el profesorado de diversas modalidades y niveles educativos, que no son expertos en Filosofía, aunque también se incluyen profesionales de la filosofía, que ven en ella muchas posibilidades para explorar diferentes formas de enseñanza de esta disciplina. Al final del día, el mismo M. Lipman es responsable de una paradoja interesante. Interesante, expresada como una tensión. Se trata de la tensión que mantiene el Coloquio y Congreso de Filosofía para Niños, entre quienes asisten como no expertos en Filosofía, pero que han hecho de ella un modelo educativo, y quienes asisten como expertos en filosofía, en busca de un modelo para educar. Extraña paradoja, que termina por articular ciertos-otros sentidos hacia la misma filosofía, la educación, la docencia, la infancia, etc. Y una urgente necesidad de re-conceptualización de esta trama conceptual. Roger Sutcliffe United Kingdom Much will rightly be made of Mat's contribution to the survival and, one hopes, to the ultimate securing, of liberal and humane education in Western culture. And much can also be made of his contribution to the recovery of philosophy in the human pursuit of freedom. Of these major contributions, more anon. But perhaps what is most important, and most memorable for those who met Mat, is that he did not just promote an ideal of philosophy and education: he modelled it in practice. Indeed, perhaps it was the very desire to put his ideals into practice that impelled him to take a step midway through his life than many another person, in whatever field, would not have risked. How many other professors or professionals would be ready to leave a secure job in a prestigious institution and experiment in a field in which they had little practical experience? Even more remarkable, how many would have persevered when they encountered not merely indifference from some in their previous field, but something verging on hostility? Not the least of Mat's achievements was that his argument, so reasonably expressed in many forms and forums, that children were perfectly capable of philosophical thinking now encounters far less knee-jerk resistance from reactionary 'philosophical' forces than when he first presented it. Colleagues in the many countries where Philosophy for Children has taken root should be more than grateful that he prepared the ground for them in this way. But, of course, his greatest achievement remains the model, both of method and of materials, that he pioneered, along with Ann Sharp and Frederick Oscanyan, which continues to inspire teachers/facilitators of P4C – and of other learning, besides. As to the materials – the philosophical 'novels' and 'manuals' they are unsurpassed in the breadth and depth of scholarship they embody, for both young people and their elders to imbibe. Whilst others did indeed contribute richly to these materials, Mat's knowledge and wisdom are everywhere to be found. They are sometimes said to be constrained by a narrow American pragmatism in their presentation of philosophy, but Mat had read widely both within and beyond the corpus of academic philosophy before he began constructing the P4C materials, and even as those materials evolved over the philosophy for children community childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 205 following 20 or more years, he (and his colleagues at the IAPC) were alive to traditions of philosophy and of culture beyond those of North America. Thus, there are not only representations of classical Greek philosophical questions and theories in the corpus, but echoes of the concerns of Eastern philosophies and of modern European philosophers. This openness to other perspectives and potential ways of thinking was very likely due to Mat's clear concept of philosophy as ongoing inquiry, rather than ossified inquest. (The main exception to this account, it must be said, is in the limitation of the novel 'Mark' as a representation of social and political enquiry). Inquiry, moreover, was the central ideal in the method or approach of P4C. In redirecting and reinvigorating the concept of the Community of Inquiry, Lipman has left an enduring legacy, not only for philosophy but for education in general. None of the clones of this concept – and there are many people who have reinvented this wheel – has the simplicity and power of Lipman's concept and its practice. Thank you for that, Mat – and thank you for exemplifying the philosophical life, and how Philosophy for Adults should largely proceed.

 از ور ت از گ از ت,ل،  	 ش- ا ا ذه و ا	 ,دن Tن 4ه و ر	 را 	* 6م >P وات& د و ;: را S,اه  $P? ز	&	از ا  	دا  E	, ا	ش ا !ا از درون ه-   .6> ,P ? از	&	ا .P,ش  ا   ا$ ش-  ش-2 در د$ در ا ا ا & , ا& د ا و ,دن د	  د 	 در ه P ش ا 4د و ز> $ ت T 4راE. دا ,اه* .رو » ا ت@\: ه- روه >Dتن در دا Dد« 	R @ 89 د  -انا matthew lipman: testemonies and homages childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 206 P4C AND THE WORLD AS HOME IN MEMORIAM OF MATTHEW LIPMAN Stefano Oliverio University of Naples Frederico II I never met Matthew Lipman: can I remember him? What is remembering? Can I remember that one I never got to know? And yet: I remember Matthew Lipman thanks to his major achievement, the P4C curriculum and the practice of the community of philosophical inquiry (CoPI). And I remember him not only in the quasi-Heideggerian sense that writing in memoriam of Matthew Lipman is writing 'zum Andenken an' him, and it is, therefore, an act of Denken (of thinking) and of Danken (of giving thanks) [M. Heidegger, Was heisst Denken?, Tübingen: Max Niemeyer 1954]. I, as a facilitator of P4C sessions and a participant in COPIs, dwell in an act of re-membering whenever a CoPI, of which I am a member, constitutes itself. There is a strong connection between re-membering and philosophising in a CoPI. Not at all in a Platonic way. Rather in a way that I feel closely related to my first experience of the potential of P4C and to my discovery of a Lipmanian sense of the Novalis definition of philosophy as a kind of "nostalgia, the desire to be at home everywhere" [Novalis, Schriften, herausgegeben von J. Minor, Jena: Diederichs 1923, vol. 2, p. 179, fragment 21]. It was in Jerusalem at the spectacular ICPIC Conference organized by Jen Glaser. There I participated in one of the most exciting CoPI I have ever been a member of: among the participants there were Jews and Arabs, Hispanic and US Americans, Italians. We were all strangers to each other. In a sense nobody was at home, but as a CoPI we felt at home. The primary language of our dialogue was philosophical inquiry, which acted as a sort of lay Pentecost permitting us to understand each other. Sure, there were translators, but without our common commitment to philosophical inquiry we would never have been able to reconstitute the disjecta membra of our dialogue, all our words would have remained scattered fragments, good as the translators might have been. It was the philosophising within the CoPI, not primarily the smartness of the translators, that made communication smooth and made feel us at home. And that was a double kind of re-membering, working in a dialectical selfreinforcement: through philosophical inquiry within a CoPI what would have been otherwise disjecta membra of communication, fragments of a ruined verbal exchange, gave rise to a real dialogue (where the communication membra come to the re-unification of a participated logos) and so made us feel members of a community, not strangers to each other (as in another sense we continued to be: why was communication not so easy during the coffee-breaks? why then did we feel once again the linguistic barriers to be so painful?). And at the same time, from a different but dialectically related point of view: by recognizing ourselves as members of a CoPI (which is, so, the space of a re-constitution of a membership out of the diversity of nationality, religious background etc.) we were able to put together the scattered fragments (the disjecta membra) of our communication and to build a real dialogue. That is why I propose considering what happens in a CoPI an act of re-membering constantly to be repeated. In the light of what I have just said, there is an unheimlich wisdom in the fact that Martha Nussbaum in her last book comes to speak of the merits of P4C immediately after a discussion of the pedagogy of Tagore, the author of The Home and the World and the herald of philosophy for children community childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 207 a cosmopolitan outlook. On one point Nussbaum may be wrong: in a strict sense it was Lipman and not Dewey who was the "thinker who brought Socrates into virtually every American classroom" [M. C. Nussbaum, Not for Profit. Why Democracy Needs the Humanities, Princeton and Oxford: The Public Square Book Series, Princeton University Press 2010, p. 64] and into the classrooms all over the world. Lipman was well aware of taking a step forward on the way of a Socratic education opened by Dewey. In an interview with Maura Striano, Lipman presents the P4C as a deweyan way to go beyond Dewey in that it uses philosophy – a discipline which Dewey never made use of as an educational 'tool' – as a means to attain deweyan educational goals. (See M. Striano, La filosofia come educazione del pensiero. Una conversazione pedagogica con Matthew Lipman, in A. Cosentino (ed.), Filosofia e formazione. 10 anni di Philosophy for Children in Italia (1991-2001), Napoli: Liguori 2002, pp. 63 ff.). Of course, there is nothing re-assuring in all this: CoPIs are fragile, ever to be reconstituted, re-membered, the feeling of being at home everywhere is constantly a task ahead: in this sense it is nostalgia (a peculiar form of nostalgia which looks forward and not backward), it is desire. But, now, we (or at least I) know that the task of building a cosmopolitan membership is a viable option thanks to P4C. Thanks (to) Mat. MATTHEW LIPMAN, MEIN WISSENSCHAFTLICHES VORBILD Takara Dobashi Universität Hiroshima, Japan Innovatives Lernen im Kontext der Learning Science zu entwickeln war mir zwar schon lange in meinen pädagogischen Studium als meine bedeutendste Aufgabe bewusst, doch hatte ich bisher noch keine befriedigenden Kriterien für die didaktische Bewertung der experimentellen Unterrichtspraxis von meinem Philosophielehrer an der Universität Tohoku in Sendai, Prof. Dr. Takeji Hayashi: "Über den Menschen", gefunden. Auch fehlte mir bisher eine überzeugende theoretische Fundierung der Idee vom Lernen, die mit dem japanischen Wort „Manabi" bezeichnet wird. Aber dann lernte ich die Bewegung „Philosophie für Kinder" kennen. Der Gründer war Prof. Dr. Matthew Lipman in den USA. Sein Buch "Philosophy in the Classroom" überraschte mich mit einem kostbaren Geschenk, nämlich mit einem neuen Konzept des Lernens, und er munterte mich dazu auf, meine eigene Definition für das "Manabi" zu bilden, das nicht nur fachwissenschaftlich begrenzt aufgefasst werden muss, sondern archetypisch als urwissenschaftlich integriert vorstellt werden sollte. Ausserdem ist es eine bekannte Tatsache, dass Matthew Lipman der erste Kinderphilosoph in der Welt ist. Ich suchte in Japan daraufhin auch solche Möglichkeiten in den japanischen Unterrichtsversuchen, in denen einige Lehrerinnen und Lehrer, obwohl sie zwar leider keine Idee der Kinderphilosophie entwickelt hatten, doch den fachund moraldidaktischen Formalismus in der Erziehungspraxis reformierten und, ohne es zu wissen, viel aus liberalen amerikanischen Gesamtunterricht lernten. Durch meine eignen Nachforschungen erkannte ich, dass Takeji Hayashi als der erste Kinderphilosoph in Japan gedeutet werden kann. Meine Gedanken fasste ich in einem Aufsatz zusammen, der auch zu meiner grossen Freude angenommen und in "Thinking" Vol. 18, Nr.3, 2007 veröffentlicht wurde. Meine originelle Interpretation wurde von Prof. Dr. Lipman, dem Vater der Kinderphilosophie, angeregt, was mich sehr glücklich machte. Es war für mich auch eine hohe Ehre und Freude, so viele schöne Begegnung mit Kolleginnen-gen des Lipman-Kreis zu erleben. matthew lipman: testemonies and homages childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 208 In meiner akademischen Ausbildung zum eigentlichen Kinderphilosoph in Japan ist Herr Prof. Lipman gegenwärtig unveränderlich mein wissenschaftliches Vorbild, der wie ein hervorragend glänzender Stern von oben sein Licht auf mich leuchten lässt. 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T	  او Bدازم . 4ن داش$ ت  ور ا)-ل Jح ا و ا  او ه-1*ن  ت(6, )?	 ,E ادا داد و  زود -E ز> ت-م ;ر 4ن را درت  ا 4	( ر . در ن د	>ل **Pن ا Jح شه ش philosophy for children community childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 209 MEMORIES Marina Santi University of Padova, Italy Sono passati vent'anni da quel gennaio 1991, quando atterrai per la prima volta al di là dell'oceano, all'aeroporto di Newark. Avevo con me un fiore rosa di stoffa. Avevamo stabilito che sarebbe stato il mio segno di riconoscimento all'arrivo in aeroporto. Un fiore rosa perenne che resta appoggiato alla mia libreria, insieme all'emozione di quel primo incontro ravvicinato con la Philosophy for Children, con la sua gente, con le sue storie, cui allora si aggiungeva la mia. Incontrai per la prima volta Matthew Lipman a Mendham, il convento immerso nei boschi del New Jersey dove passai le prime settimane del mio visiting scholar. Era un posto ameno, staccato dal mondo e insieme pieno di mondo, di persone vere che provenivano da ogni punto cardinale, di diverse razze, di differenti culture, età, attese, eppure insieme a cercare qualcosa. Capii presto che era il senso della comunità di ricerca ciò che volevamo tutti carpire, giorno dopo giorno, ora dopo ora, incontro dopo incontro. E' lì che ho conosciuto Ann, che ho potuto abbracciare per la prima volta la sua grandezza in tutti i sensi, la sua abbondanza di spontaneità e calore nascosta sotto le sue tuniche colorate, ma che traspariva sempre dai suoi piedi scalzi. E' lì che conobbi la cura di Phil verso di lei e verso la comunità in ricerca. Ho realizzato solo molto tempo dopo quanto ci fosse della presenza di Phil nel caring thinking di Ann. Una mattina, stremata dai fusi orari , ma soprattutto dalla fatica e dall'eccitazione del "philosophizing by doing" – in ciò i miei coach Micheal e Eugenio erano davvero straordinari incoraggiatori - riconobbi Mat dentro il cerchio. Partecipò ad una sessione di "community of inquiry" con la modestia, umiltà, pregnanza e profondità che dava voce ai suoi personaggi più cari. Con quella luminosità dello sguardo che le lenti degli occhiali non riuscivano a spegnere. Fui sorpresa dalla sua assoluta incapacità di essere maestro in cattedra, dalla sua postura che sembrava fatta per il cerchio. Non era giovane, ma non riuscii mai a riconoscere in lui qualcosa di vecchio. Era come se la filosofia bambina giocasse con la sua saggezza di studioso in ogni suo dire. Non ci fece una lezione. Mai. Nemmeno nelle settimane successive che passai all'IAPC a Montclair. Quel professore di logica insegnava in un altro modo e la sua logica cominciava piano piano a contagiarmi. I giorni passati all'IAPC furono intensi e insieme leggeri. Ero lontana da casa. Non ero mai rimasta così a lungo in un paese straniero. Eppure qualcosa di familiare accompagnava le mie giornate. Credo di aver ritrovato in quel luogo, tra quelle persone, un modo di amare la riflessione filosofica che da tempo qui, nell'accademia, avevo perduto. Un modo intenso e leggero, appunto. E Matthew Lipman ne era l'emblema. Ho un bellissimo ricordo che vorrei lasciare qui, come un fiore che non ho potuto portare sulla sua tomba. Un giorno lo aspettavo nel suo studio all'IAPC per un'intervista che sarebbe servita per la mia tesi di dottorato. Fin che lo attendevo guardavo furtivamente e poi sempre più affascinata e attratta la sua libreria colma di volumi. Alcuni erano particolarmente vissuti e sembravano essere importanti. Vidi Buchler; Dewey, Wittgenstein, Locke, Vygotskij... ma non solo. C'erano anche molti libri sui gatti. Mi venne in mente Roger, il gatto di Kio. Forse era uno di quelli. Era piena di libri quella stanza. Non so come mi ritrovai a toccarne alcuni e a tenerne uno tra le mani, quando entrò. Lo posi imbarazzata e cominciammo l'intervista. Alla fine lui mi salutò e mi regalò la bozza scritta a macchina e corretta di suo pugno di Natasha, che non aveva ancora visto le stampe. Ero turbata. Mi sembrava così preziosa. matthew lipman: testemonies and homages childhood & philosophy, rio de janeiro, v.6, n. 12, jul./dez. 2010 issn 1984-5987 210 Uscendo mi disse con una voce e uno sguardo paterno che non dimenticherò: "You can stay here, if you like". Non so se disse proprio così, ma io sentii solo "Resta se vuoi". E restai lì da sola per molto. Toccai tanti suoi libri. Li presi dagli scaffali. Tanti ne aprii cercando di cogliere nelle sue sottolineature le tracce del suo pensiero; assaporando il privilegio di leggere le sue note a margine. Mi sentivo un po' ladra e un po' golosa. Comunque tanto fortunata. Questo tipo di contatto con uno studioso, a distanza ma così intimo non l'ho più vissuto. Per ringraziarlo, prima di ripartire, gli regalai un bel libro illustrato sui gatti, che gli vidi mettere in una parte interessante della sua libreria. Thank you Mat. For all and by all. Maughn Gregory IAPC – Montclair State University The IAPC used to be housed in an old green house across the street from the main entrance to the university campus. For some wonderful years I had an office on its second floor, across the hall from Megan and Joanne, with David on the third floor above, and Mat and Ann on the main floor below, where students and visiting scholars also gathered in the kitchen, and worked at any desk with a working computer, and where we held meetings and small classes in the house's one large room, lined with books that spilled over from Mat's and Ann's offices. There were house plants and a cat, of course. The roof leaked over Ann's desk and basement floods claimed some of our inventory. Every room of the house had cupboards and filing cabinets filled with scholarly articles, records of Institute projects, and theses and philosophical stories sent in from all over the world. The house was almost always noisy with activity – discussion, writing, planning, teaching, arguing, and laughing – which, if it did not involve Mat directly, seemed to emanate from his long, narrow office at the back of the house, though he sometimes had to shut his glass door against the noise of it, to get on with his own work. In those days Mat was in his office for part of almost every day, seven days a week. In the mornings he would make instant coffee and listen to the news on a small radio while sifting through papers and files on his desk. He was always working on more than one piece of writing at a time – on an old manual typewriter that seemed to be part of him, like an external organ – and spent as much time consulting with faculty, students and visitors, as doing his own work. Mat was generous with his time, and I spent many enjoyable halfhours talking to him about what he or I was reading or writing, or about the work of the Institute. My young daughter was a frequent visitor in those days, and Mat was always eager to start up a conversation with her, sometimes by showing or gifting her a trinket from a distant part of the world. She got her first typing practice on an electric typewriter he had abandoned. In 2005 the IAPC moved with the College of Education into a new, palatial academic building on the opposite end of campus, and though Mat had an office there, he only came to it a few times. The new offices were less accessible and the move coincided with a decline in Mat's health and mobility. We managed to bring most of the noise and activity over into the new offices, but Mat's absence was palpable, even then. I miss Mat's administrative and scholarly advice, his erudite conversation and his stories; but mostly I miss the feeling of knowing he is back there in his office.