We suggest in this paper that the practice of philosophy with children can be fruitfully understood as an example of a transindividual system. The adoption of the term ‘transindividuality’ serves two main purposes: it allows us to focus on individuation as a process and at the same time to problematise some of the classical antinomies of Western philosophy that continue to inform our understanding of the relation between individuality and community. We argue that the practice of philosophical inquiry with children, (...) when interpreted in terms of Spinoza’s conceptions of relational individuality and affective reason, offers a compelling example of how shared thinking operates as an individuating process in that knowledge and affect, interiority and exteriority, individuality and collectivity can be experienced in action and thought as complementary aspects of the same process. (shrink)

The notion of hope occupies a central position in Paulo Freire’s work. Since he understands hope to be a motor for change, an ontological necessity and a political act, Freire concludes that it is important to educate hope so that it is not converted into infertile hopelessness or tragic despair. Imbued with Freirean spirit, my purpose in this paper is to construct a dialogue between this great educator’s thoughts and those of Spinoza. This impossible encounter between these two men who (...) rebelled in thought and action against the oppressions of their times will occur through the investigation of the following themes: 1) the role of hope in the Freirean conception of history; 2) relationships between freedom and necessity; 3) hope’s social functions and 4) Freire’s proposal of an ‘education of hope’. Two notions of hope will be discussed: naïve hope and critical hope. The spinozist provocation consists in suggesting an ethical and political attitude which is primarily moved by our power to think and act and is, therefore, not based on hope. (shrink)

São três as questões básicas às quais se dedica este artigo. Primeiramente, perguntamos: Por que seria a liberdade de pensamento e expressão uma condição necessária à paz social? As respostas que nos provê Spinoza nos ajudarão a compreender o grave erro político que é condenar ao exílio, à prisão ou à morte aqueles cujo pensamento confronta o regime estabelecido. Entre os raros casos de indivíduos que mantêm sua honestidade quando esta lhes impõe o risco da morte, destacamos o de Sócrates. (...) As supostas palavras deste filósofo legendário nos levarão a uma segunda discussão: Pode a razão determinar a honestidade mesmo quando esta implica a morte do próprio indivíduo? Não estaria a razão opondo-se assim ao próprio conatus? Por fim, das considerações sobre o vínculo entre indivíduo e coletividade, ética e política, surgirá a questão: Como se relacionam amor próprio, amor aos outros e amor à Natureza? (shrink)

The following lines will tell you a little about the Philosophy in Schools Project. Telling hi/stories is a way of making something be known. So I would like to share some history of the past, some history of the present of the Philosophy in Schools Project, as well as some of the ideas that give sense to its activities. Sharing facts and ideas can also be a way of starting new movements of thought, of inviting people to think about what (...) is not told, about what is only implicitly assumed, about directions it insinuates, about points of proximity and distance in relation to other histories, in relation to the histories that you, the reader, also live and produce. The Philosophy in Schools Project was approved in December 1997 as a community outreach project of the University of Brasilia. This project is happening in different educational contexts throughout Brazil’s Federal District. There are many ways of understanding and practicing philosophy. In the Philosophy in Schools Project we try to live philosophy as a thinking experience. Its objective was and still is the integration of university scholars, students from Philosophy, Education and Psychology courses , and teachers and students from public schools, all through the exercise of philosophy. The Philosophy in Schools Project sees education and philosophy as everyone’s practices and no one’s properties. Transforming education into a product may submit it to private interests and to the market laws. A philosophical education is a common space that receives everyone without charging for their presence. Only by doing so can we meet, not only with different age groups, but also with distinctive realities in order to think together about the world, about what we have become, what we can become. (shrink)