Our May Philosophy Read-In was so very special! Much like our maiden philosophy walk in October of 2015 (which consisted of a small but mighty crew), we were honored to have embarked on our maiden philosophy read-in voyage with a wonderfully insightful and kind young lad, named Thomas, and his mother, Janet. Some of the things we explored during our post-read-in discussions included:
- Friendship
- Wants and Needs
- Language (words, meaning & interpretation)
- Nature
- Perception & Interpretation
- Meaning
- And more…
Thank you so much Thomas & Janet for joining us on our first philosophy read-in. It was a pleasure and an honor! We can’t wait for our next voyage!!
Book Synopses
The Book with No Pictures — You might think a book with no pictures seems boring and serious. Except . . . here’s how books work. Everything written on the page has to be said by the person reading it aloud. Even if the words say . . . BLORK. Or BLUURF. Cleverly irreverent and irresistibly silly, this book raises wonderful questions about the nature of language and perception, the imagination, and more.
The Giving Tree — “Once there was a tree … and she loved a little boy.” So begins a story of unforgettable perception, beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein. This is a tender story, touched with sadness, aglow with consolation and much more…and a moving parable for readers of all ages. Amidst the tenderness and playful innocence, deep and serious philosophical questions abound, including queries about friendship, love, loyalty, kindness, environmental ethics, nature, and relationships.
Check out pics from our philosophy read-in below!
Thank you to the Philosophy Learning & Teaching Organization (PLATO) for supporting philosophy in the community and helping us bring activities like these to the Helena community!