LET’S GET PHILOSOPHICAL

‘EVERY CHILD IS A NATURAL PHILOSOPHER. THEY’RE PUZZLED BY THE WORLD AND TRY TO FIGURE IT OUT’

CHILDREN are constantly wrestling with questions about metaphysics and morality. But most adults in their lives don’t notice or, even worse, discourage them when they do.

I’m a philosopher and a father. I’ve got two boys, Rex and Hank. They’ve been asking philosophical questions since they were little, and they try to answer them too. They’ve recreated ancient arguments and advanced entirely new ones. People are sceptical when I say that.

“Sure, your kids are philosophical,” they respond. “But you’re a philosopher. Most kids aren’t like that.”

They’re wrong, though. Every child is a natural philosopher. They’re puzzled by the world and they try to figure it out. And they’re good at it too. Kids are clever and courageous thinkers. In fact, adults can learn a lot from them – as these questions posed by children demonstrate.

I SOMETIMES FEEL LIKE I’M THE ONLY REAL PERSON AND EVERYONE ELSE IS A ROBOT. HOW CAN I KNOW IF THAT’S TRUE? – URSULA (8)

Have you checked your family and friends for circuit boards and fuse boxes? I’d give them a good look if they’re acting like robots.

I’m kidding. If they were really good robots, you wouldn’t be able to tell, at least not without cutting them open. And let’s not do that, since they’d get hurt if your hypothesis were wrong.

And it probably is! I can’t say for sure. Because it’s hard to say anything