Storia della filosofia e pratica della conversazione filosofica. Spunti per una didattica incentrata sull'esperienza

The space for experiential learning in philosophy has changed considerably over the centuries, as well as the ways of telling the history of philosophy and of connecting the theoretical level with the historical-philosophical one. In the twentieth century, an unprecedented challenge in teaching philosophy has arisen from the diffusion of practices of doing philosophy for or with children and young people, which have generally involved the transition from doing philosophy through “frontal lessons” (teacher-centered instruction) to doing philosophy through conversation, research and various group activities. After having briefly recalled some relevant moments in the history of the didactics of philosophy, this paper focuses on a method of doing philosophy with children and young people that seeks in the history of philosophy the starting points for engaging philosophical conversations. The underlying hypothesis is that this method, tested with children and adolescents, can contribute to the innovation of the didactics of philosophy also in high schools and university contexts.