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Think about World Philosophy Day

By Kellie Tranter - posted Thursday, 20 November 2008


...Children’s sense of their place in the world is under threat. Children are particularly concerned about the environment. Over a half of the children surveyed are worried about not having enough water. Just over four in ten (44 per cent) are nervous about the future impact of climate change and 43 per cent of children are worried about air and water pollution. Many are also concerned about the escalating tension in world affairs. Almost a third of children (31 per cent) are worried that they will have to fight in a war when they get much older. More than a third (36 per cent) are apprehensive about terrorism. A quarter of children are so troubled about the state of the world that they honestly believe it will come to an end before they get older.

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...Over a third (36 per cent) believed that adults do not care about what children think....
 
According to the report, children believed that adults show little concern or respect for their views and opinions. Children should be consulted about what the world should be like. And adults should listen to what they say.

Children and young people deserve to be heard by us as much as we need to hear them, and to have an effective voice they need the capacity to think critically about the world and their place in it. Solutions to the problems of the 21st Century will not come except from a generation of critical and creative thinkers. Recent research has shown that children learn to think critically by learning to look at and think about art; so our first step must be to inculcate the arts, music and dance into the life of every child. 
 
All prejudices and most fears are born out of ignorance. Therefore the most important catalyst for change is education, which begins with the capacity for critical thought. The ability to read, write and think critically can empower people not only nationally but all over the world.

Laptop computers may be handy and entertaining gadgets but they don't teach children how to think! Philosophy does; it gives young people a capacity for understanding that leads to real knowledge. In turn this promotes the self-esteem needed to develop an interest in seeking out wisdom or greater meaning for themselves; rather than just accepting the status quo. Philosophy combines people’s curiosity with their creativity, and the results - as the statewide HSC art displays demonstrate every year - can be spectacular.
 
A generation of curious and creative Australians may well ask:
 
• Why is war still seen as a solution in the 21st Century?
• Why is power either conceded by or taken from people?
• Can a balance ever really be struck between the environment and economic growth?
• How can the Maslow pyramid be inverted so that people have food, shelter and warmth and more time to think about the world we live in and how best to preserve it?
• What did Prime Minister Rudd mean when he said “...A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility...”? How will he execute his plan for “...A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia.”
• What is the right thing to do? and
• What are my real needs, and how can I best satisfy them in a responsible way?
 
Which brings me back to World Philosophy Day. It couldn't have a better pedigree. Ben Chifley, the famous Labor Prime Minister, led Australia to join UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) on November 4, 1946 as one of its first UN Member States. UNESCO has instituted World Philosophy Day to take place in honour of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights.

Given Prime Minister Rudd’s call for a responsible and egalitarian future, what is our Labor Government doing to promote World Philosophy Day and the importance of philosophy in the lives of every Australian?

I think we've reached a critical mass. My suggestion is that on November 20, 2008 our political leaders, and indeed all Australians, should read the UNESCO Study “Philosophy: A School of Freedom” and make an immediate long term commitment to encouraging our children to be curious and critical thinkers.

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About the Author

Kellie Tranter is a lawyer and human rights activist. You can follow her on Twitter @KellieTranter

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