"One of the things we discovered is that imagination, which we often think of as a special adult ability, is actually in place in very young children, as early as 18 months old." That's a quote from an interview with Alison Gopnick, the author of The Philosophical Baby: What Children's Minds Tell Us About Truth, Love, and the Meaning of Life.

Here's the author talking about her book:



I haven't read the book yet but the premise interests me because it straddles two of my interests: philosophy and babies! It doesn't sound like it's going to be an easy read, but I really am curious to know how babies' and little children's minds work.

Here's another quote from the Seed Magazine interview, so you have an idea what the book is about: "Two-and-a-half-year-olds already recognize the difference between moral principles and conventional principles.... These children say it’s never okay to hit someone, but whether or not you have to put your clothes in the cubby could change from daycare to daycare. They already seem to appreciate the difference between the kinds of morality that comes from empathy and the kind that comes from our conventional rules. From the time they are two, they recognize both are important but in different ways. That’s pretty amazing."

Share