Philosophy & Ethical Reasoning

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Why it works

Philosophy for children (P4C) and ethics education show that students of all ages can engage in genuine philosophical inquiry, reasoning about questions of truth, fairness, knowledge, and right and wrong, and that doing so develops reasoning, open-mindedness, the ability to build and evaluate arguments, and respectful disagreement. Research links philosophical inquiry to gains in reasoning and discussion. The teacher's role is to facilitate open inquiry into genuine questions, drawing out and challenging thinking, not to deliver answers, keeping it balanced on contested ethical questions.

The research: Philosophy for children (P4C); research on philosophical inquiry.

The run-of-show

Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.

The core activity: facilitate a philosophical inquiry

Teachers leave with a genuine question and a plan to facilitate open inquiry.

Pick a genuine, open philosophical or ethical question (fairness, truth, right and wrong).
Plan to facilitate inquiry, drawing out reasoning and multiple perspectives.
Keep it open and balanced, not delivering answers.
Develop reasoning and respectful disagreement.

Facilitate inquiry into real questionsStudents of all ages can reason philosophically. Facilitate genuine inquiry into real questions, draw out reasoning, and keep it open and balanced.

Facilitator notes

Facilitate genuine inquiry, and draw out and challenge reasoning.
Keep it open and balanced.
Develop respectful disagreement.

Delivering answers is not philosophyLecturing conclusions, or pushing a view on contested ethical questions, is not philosophical inquiry. Facilitate open reasoning and multiple perspectives.

Adapt it

Elementary: big questions, wondering, reasoning.
Secondary: philosophical and ethical inquiry, argument.
All settings: genuine questions, facilitation, open inquiry.

Participant handout

One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.

K12 Academics · Professional Learning

Philosophy & Ethics: facilitate inquiry

Genuine questions: facilitate open inquiry, draw out reasoning and perspectives, develop respectful disagreement.

The genuine open question:
How I facilitate inquiry and draw out reasoning:
How I keep it open and balanced:
How I develop respectful disagreement:
A real question to explore:

Make it stick

Facilitate real inquiry:

Facilitate real inquiry.
Keep it open and balanced.
Bring a philosophical discussion that built reasoning to the next PLC.

Common questions

Can young children really do philosophy?

Yes. Children are full of genuine philosophical questions, and with facilitation, they reason about them impressively. Philosophy for children develops thinking at any age.

Isn't teaching ethics pushing my values on students?

Taught well, no. You facilitate inquiry into ethical questions, drawing out reasoning and multiple perspectives, rather than delivering answers. The goal is reasoning, not indoctrination.

How do I facilitate philosophical inquiry?

Pose a genuine open question, let students reason and build on each other, draw out and challenge their thinking, and keep it open, you are a facilitator, not an answer-giver.