I design all my workshops with the words of Alfred North Whitehead ringing in my ears: “Philosophy begins in wonder. And, at the end, when philosophic thought has done its best, the wonder remains.” For the past twelve years I’ve worked hard to animate philosophical thinking among school students and their educators, while keeping that sense of wonder alive and flourishing.

With mixed emotions, I’ve decided to stop actively soliciting projects for The Philosophy Club (though I remain open to proposals from schools and other organisations). Instead, I plan to find new ways of bringing the values of critical thinking, inquiry, dialogue and self-development to a wider community of learners. While I’ll occasionally share further reflections here, my posts will be less frequent.

So, I dedicate this blog to the many bright and insightful young people I’ve been privileged to work with over the years. Some had never heard of philosophy before our first meeting, but were eager to join me on some rather left-field intellectual adventures. The magic of our rapport and mutual learning will nourish me far into the future.

Infinite thanks to my family, whose unwavering support has, in crucial ways, helped to keep The Philosophy Club alive. Thanks also to my dear friends and allies in the global philosophy education community whose wisdom and kindness have buoyed me; to the mentors, teachers and changemakers who went out on a limb to champion my work; and to the parents who just “got it” and sent their kids to my extra-curricular workshops. Thanks also to those who have shared words of encouragement, or stumbled across this blog and continued reading. Whoever you are, please reach out and tell me what The Philosophy Club has meant to you.

Gratitude to everyone who, in big and small ways, has helped to keep this tiny social enterprise afloat in a bureaucratic and economic climate that’s hostile to deep reflection. For a mission-driven, values-oriented micro-organisation with no operational funding to survive for over a decade represents a denial of vast odds.

I’ll farewell you with a quote from Deborah Stevens and Lynne Bowyer, valued colleagues from Aotearoa New Zealand and former co-directors of the Centre for Science and Citizenship (another unique and important organisation that sadly no longer operates). Back in 2008, Deborah and Lynne wrote persuasively of the need to rehumanise our education system. Their words were a guiding light for me as I steered The Philosophy Club in recent years.

It is time we seriously considered the purpose of education and the responsibility we have as a community to ensure that education serves our young people well.

Education is a dangerous activity if not wielded wisely. Driven by economic and bureaucratic considerations, our current education system is deployed as an instrument to work on individuals so that they can acquire or develop certain “capacities”, “skills” and “qualities”, in order to “improve performance”, which has become a “measurable activity”. Education is focused on the production of a particular kind of individual that will fit the prevailing job market and contribute to the economy. This is epitomised by the cult of “innovation”: the utilitarian, saleable outcome of human creativity.

This model of education trades thinking for the recall of facts; reifies competition and downplays co-operation; champions debate at the expense of open dialogue; and constructs siloed and alienating work tasks instead of engaging thoughtfully with meaningful, worthwhile activity. This model of education measures success in terms of “academic achievement”, obscuring that living well with others in a challenging, interconnected world is the ground of success…

We have an opportunity now to transform our educational system, and as a corollary our social and economic structures, which education is both framed by and also perpetuates.

If we are to educate our young people well we must rehumanise education so that it becomes a medium through which our young people have a place to belong, understand who they are, cultivate bonds and connections that hold them well, discern and work with values that will enable all people to thrive, and are affirmed and empowered to change practices that are harmful.

……………………………………….

For over a decade, The Philosophy Club, based in Melbourne, has worked with students and teachers to develop a culture of critical and creative thinking through collaborative inquiry and dialogue. Although we are no longer instigating projects, we remain open to proposals from schools and other organisations.