Attention and critical thinking in philosophical discussion with children: A practice of intellectual care
Practices involving philosophical discussion with children pursue two objectives that may appear to be in tension, namely paying attention to what children say (which is a form of care) and developing critical thinking skills. This article argues that attention can, on the contrary, help develop critical thinking, if it is considered not only in its affective dimension, but also in its epistemic dimension. Drawing on analysis of workshops conducted as part of a field investigation, I show how the practice of using philosophy with children brings into play this twofold conception of attention. I thus propose to consider philosophical discussion with children as a practice of intellectual care.