Recognition, Tolerance, Respect and Empathy

After working for the last nine years with children at a private primary school in Mexico City in order to build communities of inquiry, an essential methodology of the ‘Philosophy for Children’ (P4C) Program of Dr. Matthew Lipman and Dr. Ann Margaret Sharp, I have perceived the difficulty that pupils have in respecting ideas from their own schoolmates and friends. Since respect is an integral component of successful communities of inquiry, lack of respect in the classroom is a serious problem. To incorporate the methodology of the Philosophy for Children Program is not an easy task. It requires that students are conscious of themselves and others as worthy of respect, unique and irreplaceable as individuals.