[French] Brigitte Labbé, Michel Puech: *A Philosophical Introduction for Children*, translated by Pan Lin, Wang Chuanya, et al., Guangxi Normal University Press, June 2005, 125.00 yuan — ☆
At last I’ve found a set of philosophy gift books! (I’ve only flipped through half a volume, so I won’t say much for now; in any case, it’s pretty good.)
This series claims to be written for children and teenagers aged eight and up. In my view, parents are the more suitable readers. The best way to initiate children into philosophy, in any case, should be direct conversation.
A Philosophical Introduction for Children (Complete Set of 6 Volumes)
July 17, 2007
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Once, I happened to leaf through an introduction to a series of books for French children aged nine and up, and I was simply astonished. More than fifty little volumes, covering an astonishing breadth and depth of subjects far beyond my imagination: from the vastness of the planets to the tiny insects in the garden, from Islam to the making of films, from the Roman Empire to some corner of Africa, from future citizens to parental divorce, from the global gap between rich and poor to the food we eat every day, from ecological and environmental issues to worries about and vigilance toward television programs……
Will the children of our motherland read these? Of course not. The children of our motherland read only textbooks, and all kinds of supplementary materials built around them, because from primary school until before they enter university, they have a long road of examinations to trudge. Of course, city children also read *Harry Potter*, because if they haven’t read it, or even don’t like it, it would seem too uncool.
Do the children of our motherland want to read books like this? Hard to say. Because these books are no use for exams, no use for making money, no use for becoming a big shot or tycoon.
But do the children of our motherland have a flight of the soul, laughter full of passion, the allure of dreams? Do they open their hearts to the world and cast eyes of curiosity and concern upon humanity? Are they rich in spirit and whole in their inner lives? Do they care about others and think about life?
As their teachers and their parents, have we adults ever guided them to do so?
How I wish the teachers and parents of our motherland could pay attention to this series of books as French teachers and parents do, because education, beyond transmitting knowledge and skills, has another important purpose: to cultivate individuals whose hearts are sound, whose spirits are abundant, who love life and respect others. We need to nurture children like this, so that they may walk healthily and happily along their own road of life.
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Taken from the translator’s introduction……. hehe, said in a very plain way…. Because I haven’t read similar foreign books, I really have no basis to go on, and don’t have much of a sense of it………. But there is one thing~~~~~~ that is, I’ve discovered that French philosophy education is great~~~~~~~~~~~~~ awesome!!! And that French college-entrance-exam question you quoted last time………. sigh……..
Gu Du
2007-07-18 09:57:20
France also has a series of popular knowledge books called *What Do I Know?* that is very famous (it’s the one I bought more than 40 volumes of for 1 yuan each at Tao Shu Gong She last time), and it is said that they have already published more than 3,000 titles…… The French have always been extremely diligent in popular education in knowledge (as well as liberty, equality, and fraternity).
Translated from the Chinese original with AI assistance. The original text is authoritative.
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