The Philosophy Foundation

Founded in 2007 The Philosophy Foundation conducts philosophical enquiry in schools, communities, and workplaces.

Our mission is to bring understanding, wisdom and eudaimonia (flourishing) to the heart of education for children and adults.

We believe that reasoning skills developed through philosophical enquiry are an indispensable foundation of all aspects of learning and that Philosophy, like maths, music or physical education, is intrinsically worth doing and intrinsically engaging.

All our philosophers hold a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, and are trained to work in the specific setting where they conduct their enquiries, from infant classrooms to A Level and HE. Our overall aim is to equip our beneficiaries to participate fully in society.

The Foundation’s primary educational aim is to get children doing philosophy in classrooms, and is always researching and developing ways that this can be done. We understand doing philosophy in three broad ways:

A philosophical encounter – to acquaint children with philosophical problems and thinking by providing the conditions for the children to be able to philosophise (the activity of doing philosophy) with each other.
Philosophical development – giving students the opportunity to practice and improve philosophising and the intellectual competencies involved in this, which have wider application in most, if not all subjects.
Philosophical independence – for children to complete our programme with a disposition to appropriately use these intellectual virtues / competencies, but without the support of a philosophy facilitator. In this way philosophy becomes an important part of life-long learning.

Our philosophers deliver weekly philosophy sessions in the classroom with the teacher present and we also offer one-off days or half-days.

We also train teachers in enquiry skills, have a free to join website with hundreds of resources on it for teachers to use, and we have books on doing philosophy in schools and linked to the curriculum.

EduKit Connect

Find the right support for students

Philosophy

The Philosophy Foundation

Philosophy

The Philosophy Foundation

Login