The If Machine: Philosophical Enquiry in the Classroom

Can computers think? What makes something human? How big is infinity? From Sartre to Searle, this practical book is rooted in philosophical theory, and introduced at a level suitable for children. Each session offers an imaginary situation, followed by a series of questions to encourage children to challenge key philosophical ideas such as values and ethics, gender and identity, and existence and beauty. All the enquiries have been tried-and-tested in the primary and early secondary classroom, and a handy star system is included to indicate the difficulty level of each one, enabling quick ability differentiation. With a comprehensive introduction and key sections on the philosophy behind the experiments, this book also includes an online teacher's resource to guide practitioners through using the sessions to best effect in the classroom. Invaluable as a resource for P4C trained teachers, this book is also perfect for teachers who want to introduce higher order and critical thinking into their classroom, or as a resource for philosophy consultants working with children.