The Cultivation of Philosophical Sensitivity
Jana Mohr Lone, Director & Founder of University of Washington’s Center for Philosophy for Children, Affiliate Associate Professor & Founding President of The Philosophy Learning & Teaching Organization (PLATO)
ABSTRACT: In this paper, Dr. Lone considers the question “what kind of training is needed to teach philosophy and do it well?” and discusses the importance of what she refers to as “philosophical sensitivity” — i.e., the capacity to engage in identification of and reflection about the larger questions that underlie most of what we think we understand about the world. In the process, the nature of a philosophical discussion and two pedagogical skills (important for all levels of teaching philosophy) are explored, namely: (a) the ability to motivate or inspire a philosophical discussion (via CPI) and, (b) a facility for shaping its progress.
NOTE: This article was approved by the author for use on our website.
**For more on this topic, see Philosophy for Children & Philosophical Sensitivity**