re-claiming childhood: embracing alternative time dimensions through philosophy for children

This proposal was born from an experience in a high school and highlights the generative influences of Philosophy for Children (P4C) on young adults. I first discuss and provide examples of how the school system traditionally does not value learning and thinking philosophically by flattening the process to the pre-packaged dispensation of ready-made answers. Such ways of learning, also known as the “banking” model of education, devalues children’s ways of knowing and being in the world. This pedagogical stance, among other problems, results in a focus on the quantitative-chronological dimension of time, leaving little to no room for the importance of the present moment that belongs to and is natural to most childhood experiences. The central part of the paper is an attempt to better explain, through concepts derived from anthropology and pedagogy, what this alternative time dimension consists of and what possibilities it unlocks within educational environments. In the final section, I argue that joining a community of inquiry like Philosophy for Children as a young adult poses greater complexity as breaking away from ingrained certainties becomes more intricate. Still, it also involves the opportunity to enter a metaphorical time machine that brings one back to reclaim the time of childhood. This metaphorical time machine opens possibilities for students and teachers to reorient their relationship with themselves, each other, and the world.