What is Young Philosophers Club?
Young Philosophers Club is where we think and talk about some of the most interesting and puzzling things in life. Through games, stories and thought experiments you will discover how deep these ideas go.
At Young Philosophers Club there's no such thing as a silly question or answer.
The clubs are led by TPF trained philosophy specialists and if you join you will:
- Learn to unpick challenging, abstract ideas.
- Think critically and independently
- Develop confidence in speaking
- Become better listeners
- Collaborate and manage conflict effectively
- Get a certificate at the end of the course.
- Have fun with philosophy!
We ran the first Young Philosophers Clubs in Autumn 2022, here's what some of the young philosophers who took part had to say about them:
"My daughter was blown away by the sessions as they triggered her imagination and pushed her to develop her own thoughts about different subjects. She can’t wait to do it again."
"She seems to be way more confident than before and she seems to be more interested in things in general and she is not afraid to speak up."
"This is such a unique activity and I would wholeheartedly recommend this to parents with inquisitive students who are looking for something to challenge them."
Foundations of Philosophical Enquiry: Online
19th August 2024
19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd of August
1.00 - 5.00 pm (BST)
| 17h | 5 afternoons | Part-time
Foundations of Philosophical Enquiry - In person
26th October 2024
Sat 26th and Sun 27th October
9.00 am - 5.30 pm
What and when?
Young Philosophers Clubs is back for the Summer Term! We're running 2 courses, 1 for 7-11 year olds and another fof 12-16 year olds.
YOUNG PHILOSOPHERS CLUB - IRL? ADVENTURES IN REALITY AND UNREALITY
For 7-11 years
Starting on Thursday 2nd May then 9th, 16th, 23rd May, 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th June.
5.30-6.15pm BST
This is a course all about reality, unreality, and anything in between, really! Stories, thought experiences, activities and games will launch us into some real philosophical discussions on the nature of reality and how we experience it.
Here are some of questions you'll really explore on the course:
- Do we see things how they really are?
- Which senses are best for discovering how things really are? Which school subjects?
- Do maps map reality?
- Are fictional stories and characters real?
- Are numbers real? Is money real?
- Could dreams be reality and reality be dreams?
- When you steal something in a virtual reality game, are you really stealing?
- Does everyone have their own personal reality or do we all share the same one?
Book your place for IRL? Adventures in Reality and Unreality here.
YOUNG PHILOSOPHERS CLUB - PHILOSOPHY OF TIME
For 12-16 year olds
Starting Tuesday 30th April, then on 7th, 14th, 21st May, 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th June
5.30-6.15pm BST
In this course, we will explore the nature of time, and explore its possibilities while unravelling its mysteries. We will ask and think about:
- Is time an illusion, or part of reality?
- Is our future fixed, or can it change?
- Does time have a beginning?
- The philosophy of time travel, and well-known paradoxes about time like the grandfather paradox
- The nature of time, and the status of the past and future (do they exist?)
- How time is represented in popular culture like TV and movies, looking at clips from Back to the Future and Dr Who.
- Whether we are already in a time machine (our bodies)
- Time-perception experiments
Book your place for Philosophy of Time here.
