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The goal of the project is to develop research in the field of Ethics in Philosophy for Children showing how the philosophical field greatly contributes to ethical development of citizens, and how its connection to Argumentation Theory can bring interesting theoretical outcomes to both disciplines. The pedagogical materials need to be philosophically supported in order to foster the excellence of thinking found in the philosophical discipline. More specifically the project aims to show how argumentative abilities are solidified when the integration of values and reasons is complemented by critically adding the input of emotional information and its normative force (Lipman 1995, Sharp 2007, Mendonça 2008, Murris 2012).

We investigate the Ethical dimension of Philosophy for Children verifying how the methodology includes a critical-ethical component fundamental for citizenship following three guiding questions:

Question 1: In what way is Philosophy for Children a fundamental methodology to promote citizenship apt to deal with the plurality of values and capable of establishing normative criteria for a political and economically growing globalized world?

Question 2: How to establish the criteria for scientific quality of the methodology in its practice as well as its pedagogical materials?

Question 3: In what way does Philosophy for Children promote de development of argumentative abilities?

To research the questions the project includes a practical section as to guarantee that theoretical issues remain connected to the practical application and such that the practical impact of the philosophical conclusions appear visible.

The team of the project will develop high quality material for practical sessions with excellent scientific background in the field of Ethics from texts and thought experiments found throughout the history of philosophy. The material will then be tested in schools to make sure that the scientific quality is mirrored in the practical application of the material developed. These sessions built upon the legacy of the history of philosophy will enable the children an introduction to philosophical reflection by promoting dialogues about ethical questions mediated by a facilitator with proper qualified training (Lipman 2009, Gregory 2011, Gorard et al. 2015).

The practical dimension proposed will stand as a way to develop more deeply the theoretical investigation proposed. Consequently, the project will show how the nature of Philosophy for Children assumes an interconnection between pedagogical methodology and its philosophical framework (Lipman 2003). In the recognition of that theoretical and practical posture it is possible to recognize that Philosophy for Children can contribute to the acquisition of a critical thinking which is ethically enlighten and moves beyond the mere cognitive critical abilities such that rationality becomes reasonableness (Prichard 1996, Gasparatou 2017, Costa-Carvalho/Mendonça 2017).

The practical dimension also takes inspiration from the world famous Harvard on line course by Michael Sandel on Justice and is partly done in light of the growing need to develop high quality pedagogical material due to the rapid widespread growth of the practice both in Portugal and all over the World. In addition, the practical dimension is material to more deeply develop the theoretical investigation proposed. The practical dimension proposed will stand as a way to develop more deeply the theoretical investigation proposed.

Consequently, the project will show how the nature of Philosophy for Children assumes a interconnection between pedagogical methodology and philosophical framework that implies greater maturity in the rational status such that rationality becomes reasonableness. The research will show how the practice of Philosophy for Children stands as a pedagogical program that besides offering the cognitive and critical aspect of thinking, it necessarily includes a fundamental ethical posture which is absolutely necessary for an inclusive citizenship. In the recognition of the theoretical and practical posture it is possible to recognize that Philosophy for Children can contribute to the acquisition of a critical thinking which is ethically enlighten and moves beyond the mere cognitive critical abilities such that rationality becomes reasonableness (Prichard 1996, Gasparatou 2017, Costa-Carvalho/Mendonça 2017).

In addition, the research will explore in what way the methodology of Philosophy for Children can gain insight and contribute from Argumentation Theory by seeing how it aids the development of argumentative abilities and illustrates some of the recent developments of argumentation theory.