PLATO is offering an online series of ethics/philosophy classes for middle school students (ages 11-14) this year.

Series Topics: 
Fall: Animal Ethics
Winter: Environmental Ethics
Spring: Philosophy of Science

Each class will meet weekly for four weeks on Zoom.

Classes are entirely free, thanks to a grant from Charles Anderson and Pamela Gross through the San Juan Island Community Foundation. 

Applications for the fall, winter, and spring classes are now closed.

Fall 2022: Philosophical Topics in Animal Ethics

Tuesdays – 10/25, 11/1, 11/8, and 11/15
4-5:15pm Pacific Time

Other-than-human animals are a tremendous part of our lives. They are involved in our relationship to food, clothes, entertainment, experimentation, conservation, and companionship. In these sessions we will consider philosophical issues related to human/animal interactions and animals themselves. Questions we will consider include:

• Why do we care about some animals but not others? How does an animal’s appearance or behavioral reputation influence how much we care about them?

• Humans hold animals captive in farms, laboratories, zoos, entertainment facilities, sanctuaries, and in private homes. Are there differences in how ethical it is to keep animals in these settings? Does whether or not it is permissible to keep animals captive depend on what our intentions are towards them?

• Is it right to harm individual animals of a certain species in order to protect that species from extinction?

Course Instructor: Karen Emmerman, Ph.D., PLATO Education Director

We are delighted to be collaborating with photojournalist, speaker, author, and founder of We Animals Media, Jo-Anne McArthur, who will lead the November 1 session.

Winter 2023: Philosophical Topics in Environmental Ethics

Tuesdays – 1/24, 1/31, 2/7, and 2/14
4-5:15pm Pacific Time

Like questions about our relations with animals, questions about human interactions with the natural environment are numerous and pressing. With widespread environmental degradation, global climate change, and concerns about loss of biodiversity, questions about human relationships with the environment are important topics to address. Questions we will consider include:

• What does it mean to show respect for natural beings and things?

• Is it right to think of natural resources as here for human consumption and use? Are there limits to how much consumption is acceptable?

• What does it mean to be in relationship with nature?

Course Instructor: Cassie Finley, Ph.D. Candidate in Philosophy, University of Iowa

Spring 2023: Topics in Philosophy of Science

Tuesdays – 4/18, 4/25, 5/2, and 5/9
4-5:15pm Pacific Time

Many philosophical questions are related to science, the nature of discovery, and how to think about changes in scientific understandings over time. Students know from their experience with science at school that there are many philosophical issues raised by scientific exploration and discovery. Questions we will consider include:

• How is science different from other pursuits like literature, math, and history?

• How should we think about the way scientific “facts” sometimes change over time (e.g., shifting from the belief that the Earth is flat to the understanding that it is round)?

• What values are important to scientific pursuit? How do we develop those values?

Course Instructor: Cassie Finley, Ph.D. Candidate in Philosophy, University of Iowa

These classes will be interactive and collaborative, requiring attention and participation of all students. Students should have their cameras on during class, as visual presence both enhances a sense of community and increases accessibility for all participants.

Barring unforeseen circumstances and illness, we expect students to attend all four sessions in a series. Consistent attendance is important for building community and deepening our discussions over the weeks we meet.

Philosophical conversations involve topics about which reasonable people can disagree. All participants are expected to arrive prepared to listen carefully, thoughtfully engage with others’ ideas, and bravely share their own thoughts.

Session facilitators will ensure we maintain a respectful and intellectually safe community of inquiry. Students will experience the joys of thinking together about the ethical and other philosophical questions on our minds.

Support for High School Philosophy Programs

PLATO is committed to fostering the growth of philosophy in high schools around the US, including supporting:

• High school philosophy teachers interested in visiting other classrooms to lead philosophy sessions
  
  
• High school philosophy clubs, in-person or virtual
  
  
• Annual Philosophy Days
  
  
• Student-organized philosophy conferences
  
  
• Virtual speakers for high school classes on philosophy topics that align with classroom units
  
  
• Virtual speakers for philosophy clubs
  
  
• And other initiatives designed to bring more philosophy and ethics programs into high schools.

For more information, contact us at info@plato-philosophy.org.

Philosophers in the Schools

PLATO’s “Philosophers in the Schools” program introduces young students in Seattle-area classrooms to philosophy in classes led by PLATO philosophy instructors and UW students. We use children’s literature and a wide range of activities to encourage curiosity and wonder and inspire exploration of some of life’s essential and unsettled questions, such as: Who am I? Is justice possible? What is a good life?

Young people are eager for engagement about the big questions that matter to them, and encouraging this interest helps them learn to trust their own ideas and questions. Because of its emphasis on constructing well-reasoned arguments, anticipating alternative points of view, and thinking analytically, there is no better education than philosophy for learning to think well. It is imperative that children develop the critical thinking and listening skills necessary for participation in a democratic society. 

Philosophy sessions create a community of philosophical inquiry — an intellectually safe environment, in which students develop confidence in expressing their own perspectives, listen to one another, and challenge and build on one another’s thinking. We are not teaching philosophy to young people — we are doing philosophy with them. These young philosophers come to appreciate that there are many ways to understand the world and that their own voices are uniquely valuable.

Philosophers-in-Residence

In 2013 the Philosopher-in-Residence project was launched in the Seattle School District at John Muir Elementary School with a grant from the Squire Family Foundation. The program expanded in 2018 to Thurgood Marshall Elementary School with help from additional donor support.  These are culturally diverse K-5 schools in Seattle’s south end; many of these students are among those least likely to have access to academic enrichment programs.

The philosopher-in-residence project helped to develop strong and sustainable philosophy programs in these schools by creating ongoing relationships with faculty members and staff, many of whom have engaged in professional development opportunities, and have attended summer workshops at UW.  Parents are also involved.    

As a result, both schools now offer philosophy in multiple classrooms across many grade levels, enabling students to benefit from philosophy discussions throughout their elementary school careers and fostering a philosophical culture throughout the schools.

We are now expanding this program to three high schools around the country, funded by a grant from the Whiting Foundation.

Thanks to the success of the philosopher-in-residence project, PLATO hopes to launch similar programs in schools in Seattle and around the country.

UW students then placed in local schools where they facilitate discussions on subjects such as the nature of art, freedom, time, knowledge, and other topics, supervised and mentored by experienced instructors. These placements take place in part through partnerships developed with the University of Washington’s Riverways Education Partnerships, an outreach program that connects students with tutoring and mentoring opportunities in local schools, and the University of Washington College of Education. 

“Philosophy has been an authentic way to connect the children and their thoughts about the world, allowing for meaningful conversations. I have seen significant social and emotional development throughout the year, which I believe has been positively influenced by the philosophy sessions.”
— Second grade teacher at John Muir Elementary School, Seattle

“Philosophy in my first grade classroom has been a powerful means through which my students have been able to wrestle with questions and express their thoughts in a safe yet challenging environment.”
— First grade teacher at John Muir Elementary School, Seattle

“In philosophy my students have learned to listen to others’ ideas and add to them or disagree respectfully.  I hear students who hardly raise their hands in class give intelligent, thought-out opinions or challenge others’ ideas.”
— Fourth grade teacher at Whittier Elementary School, Seattle

When teachers have ongoing philosophy sessions in their classrooms, frequently they become inspired to make philosophy part of their curriculum. This can happen either through regular sessions facilitated by PLATO personnel, or by teachers themselves following up with students to explore topics discussed in philosophy, eventually leading entire philosophy sessions on their own, and attending PLATO workshops for more training.

PLATO regularly runs intergenerational ethics events. These include programs for students and family members (example here) and for seniors and young people (example here).

We believe that ethics and philosophy are for everyone. We hope to provide resources and spaces for people of all ages to engage together with some of life’s deepest questions. In a world increasingly spatially and socially segregated by age, it is more important than ever to do so in an intergenerational way. 

The structure for these events begins with a brief description of PLATO and philosophy with young people. We then introduce a prompt that is appropriate for a wide variety of age groups and provokes thinking about a difficult ethics question. Following the prompt, we facilitate a discussion in much the same way we do in classrooms around the country — first in small, mixed-age groups with a discussion leader, and then in a whole group conversation.

These programs empower families to engage philosophically with their students at home — while reading, doing chores around the house, or any time a deep question arises — and provide an opportunity for participants to expand their insights into the perspectives of other generations. 

These events are free, open to the public, and located in accessible community locations (such as libraries, universities, and public schools).

For more information, contact info@plato-philosophy.org.