Search Database

By Subject Area: Philosophy

Jump to:

  • Organizations: Competitions

    Kids Philosophy Slam
    The Kids Philosophy Slam is an annual program designed to make philosophy fun and accessible to all kids, as well as to help promote critical thinking skills and encourage dialogue with other students and adults. The Philosophy Slam asks kids to answer a philosophical question such as "What is the Meaning of Life?" Depending on their age, kids can express themselves in words, artwork, poetry or song. Each grade level has its own national winner, and the top four high school students debate the question at the national finals. The winner earns the title of "The Most Philosophical Student in America" Schools also compete for the title of" The Most Philosophical School in America".

  • Organizations: International

    Wright Foundation for Transformational Leadership
    The Wright Foundation for Transformational Leadership promotes the study, development, expanding recognition, and impact of transformational leadership. The Foundation funds graduate research, transformational leadership awards, educational loans, scholarships, and symposia to support the development and dissemination of cutting-edge, forward-thinking human performance technology, philosophy, and methodology.

  • Organizations: National

    Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children (IAPC) (Montclair, NJ)
    IAPC provides curriculum materials for engaging young people (Pre K-12) in philosophical inquiry and provides teacher preparation in the pedagogy of the classroom community of inquiry.

  • Printed Materials: Books

    Great Books of the Western World
    This collection of books represents a large portion of the Western canon: Homer, the Athenian playwrights, the early Greek philosophers, Rome, early Christianity, Renaissance, Reformation, Enlightenment, early American political philosophy, and Victorian literature up until the end of the 20th century. This series provides extensive original documents on science, mathematics, government, philosophy, literature, and much more.
    How Do You Spell God?: Answers to The Big Questions From Around The World
    The authors - a rabbi and a priest - collaborate to present the predominant world religions in an easy to read format. They are able to compare and contrast Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism. Filled with interesting stories, the book works to answer all the big questions about religion that the kids might have. This book addresses, "How should we live, What happens to us after we die, Why does bad stuff happen to good folks and How can we talk to God?" among other questions.
    How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day
    Michael Gelb's book, How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci, is an inspiring and inventive guide that teaches readers how to develop their full potential, using the principles of da Vincian thought identified by the author.
    Philosophy Files
    This book talks about common philosophical issues that kids think about: What is God? What is life? Should I eat meat? Do I see things differently than other people? It does not talk down to kids and discusses the ideas rather than the history of philosophy.
    Philosophy for Teens: Questioning Life's Big Ideas
    Authors Sharon Kaye and Paul Thomson, examine some of life's biggest topics, such as lying, cheating, love, beauty, the role government, hate and prejudice in this teenager-friendly book. Both sides of the debates are covered on every issue, with information from some of the world's most noted philosophers. For grades 7-12.
    Philosophy Made Simple
    This is an introductory book to philosophy, which is divided by topics (ethics, metaphysics, etc.). Each section also contains a list of suggestions for further reading.
    Searching for Meaning: Idealism, Bright Minds, Disillusionment, and Hope
    This book aims to help individuals who find themselves disillusioned in today’s world by teaching them to understand themselves and their struggles. It also includes helpful information and suggestions for actions that disillusioned idealists can use to better manage their feelings and thoughts in ways that will nurture their idealism and provide a sense of satisfaction and contentment. Click here to read a review of this book.
    Sophie's World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy
    By Norweigian author, Jostein Gaarder, this story is about a young girl, Sophie, who becomes embroiled in a discussion of philosophy with a faceless correspondent. At the same time, she must unravel a mystery involving another young girl, Hilde, by using everything she's learning. The truth is far more complicated than she could ever have imagined. This unique book combines a comprehensive history of Western philosophy with compelling mystery, experienced through the life and learning of a 14-year-old Norwegian schoolgirl.
    Stormy Night
    Winner of the prestigious BolognaRagazzi Award, this intriguing book for ages 9-12 While this unusually long picture book (240 pages) provides no answers to the many queries posed by a young girl who can't sleep because "Too many questions are buzzing through my head." There is no story; it's simply a catalog of questions and fears ranging from typical concerns about appearance to fears to universal enigmas. This inventory of mind-bending mysteries may provide an outlet for adolescents unable to formulate their concerns and could serve as a jumping-off point for discussions at home or in the classroom.
    The Examined Life: Advanced Philosophy for Kids
    This book, by David White, is designed for use in a variety of ways: philosophical, practical, and theoretical. Recommended for grades 6-12, this is an excellent teachers’ handbook for using advanced philosophy in the classroom. Click here to read a review of this book.
    The Illustrated Encyclopedia of World Religions
    This illustrated color encyclopedia provides the reader with insight into the rich and varied traditions of the world’s religions. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism are covered in detail, and there is extensive information regarding less widely understood faiths such as Sikhism, Taoism and Rastafarianism.
    The Quark and the Jaguar: Adventures in the Simple and the Complex
    This book, written by Nobel Prize-winning physicist M. Gell-Mann, is an engaging introduction to the life's work of one of this century's most accomplished and influential scientists. This is Gell-Mann's own story of finding the connections between the basic laws of physics and the complexity and diversity of the natural world. From the simple, a quark inside an atom, to the complex, a jaguar prowling its jungle territory. Exploring the relationship between them becomes a series of exciting intellectual adventures.
    The Solitaire Mystery: A novel about family and destiny
    author Jostein Gaarder had an unlikely international success with Sophie's World, a novelized exploration of western philosophy through the eyes of a young girl. This is an earlier work, translated from the Norwegian, as a fable-like story that dabbles in philosophy as well. It tells of a Norwegian boy traveling across Europe with his calm and reflective father in search of his long lost mother. The boy finds a tiny manuscript that reveals the secret of a magic deck of cards that can tell the future.
    The Story of Philosophy
    This book covers 2,500 years of Western philosophy, from the ancient Greeks to the present day. This book is appropriate as either an introduction or for more advanced students.
    The Three Questions
    Author Jon Muth based this story on a short story of the same title by Leo Tolstoy. Nikolai is a boy who believes that if he can find the answers to his three questions, he will always know how to be a good person. His friends--a heron, a monkey, and a dog--try to help, but to no avail, so he asks Leo, the wise old turtle. "When is the best time to do things? Who is the most important one? What is the right thing to do?" Leo doesn't answer directly, but by the end of Nikolai's visit, the boy has discovered the answers himself.
    The World's Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions
    This book offers a view of the predominant religions of the world including: Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Confucianism, Christianity, and Judaism, among others. The book conveys the important components and teachings found within each religion.

  • Summer Programs: Western Region

    Stanford Summer Humanities Institute (Stanford, CA)
    The Summer Humanities Institute is an intensive academic residential program for rising juniors and seniors ages 15 to 17 interested in history and humanities. This three-week program is led by distinguished Stanford faculty, and provides a tightly integrated academic and social program.

  • Websites & Other Media: Commercial

    The Great Courses
    The more than 500 Great Courses are crafted for lifelong learners with engaging, immersive learning experiences in a wide variety of subjects from science and mathematics to philosophy, history, literature and economics to cooking and photography. The world’s greatest teachers have a team of experts who collaborate on crafting a customized and entertaining educational journey that’s both comprehensive and fascinating. There are no exams. No homework assignments. No prerequisites. Customers can choose the format that fits their life: video or audio, discs or digital. Watch on a television, laptop or tablet, or listen to audio files on a mobile device.

  • Websites & Other Media: Informational

    Closer to Truth - Television Series
    This site for the TV science talk show Closer to Truth, brings scientists, scholars and artists to debate fundamental issues. Topics discussed include quantum physics, defining human consciousness, ethics and civility, societal changes created by the Internet and much more.
    Teaching Children Philosophy
    This site is dedicated to the use of children’s literature to teach elementary aged children philosophy.

  • Websites & Other Media: Learning Tools

    Student Guide
    StudentGuide.org is a collection of useful resources for students to assist their scholastic goals. This website contains articles on hundreds of student-related topics to help them improve their study habits, writing skills, organizational and analytical skills.