Childhood philosophy: a CASE for environmental ethics at basic education in Nigeria (Africa)
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Childhood philosophy: a CASE for environmental ethics at basic education in Nigeria (Africa) Bellarmine Nneji 1 # Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
Abstract The need to instil philosophical thinking in children is supported by the phrase ‘catch them young’. Children do have inquisitive mind which is one of the bulks philosophers are made. To harness this virtue through the introduction of philosophy at the basic education levels will be a great milestone in the quest for human development and environmental protection and sustainability. Thus this paper believes that such will equip the future leaders with critical thinking tools necessary in a fast and dynamic society faced with serious climate change challenges. Keywords Environmental ethics . Childhood philosophy . Education . Philosophy
Introduction The introduction of childhood philosophy has been a feat achieved long ago by many developed countries across the globe with such countries as UK, USA, Australia, etc. Their success stories should be a source of encouragement to other nations that pride and care for the future academic development of their younger generation and future leaders. This paper believes that if other developing countries are able to move with them and pace up with them, it will bridge so many gaps that usually divide us. In both the Nigerian and African settings, people and many academic institutions have been averse to the introduction and study of philosophy and so many of its relevant branches in so many of our tertiary institutions. In a global study by (UNESCO) 1998 about the scholarship and teaching of philosophy, no matter the level, it discovered that Africa was lagging behind in this field which it considers very crucial in human development. It was discovered that apart from a few universities, only the Catholic Seminaries are deep–down into the study of philosophy as a professional and
* Bellarmine Nneji [email protected]
1
Department of Educational Foundations, Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, IMO State, Owerri, Nigeria
Nneji B.
specialized discipline. Nigeria as a country was part of the sample population studied by UNESCO. From the above standpoint revelation, it appears that African’s and indeed Nigerian’s are oblivious of the contributing role of philosophy in national development. In many situations globally philosophy has always come to the rescue in matters of serious and threatening disputes, confusions, political, cultural and scientific imbroglios. Philosophy has seriously contributed to the resolution of such issues. In most cases, policy statements and documents in the entire UN and its arms are outcomes of philosophical ruminations and deliberations. In view of the above expositions to begin to talk of ‘childhood philosophy’ will raise many eyebrows. It would beat the imaginations of many, while some would see it as a child’s play. I believe that the idea might sail through the storms as the challenges of adequate education; globalization and the threats of climate change have reached to
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