More or less independant of each other people in different countries have begun to discuss philosophical questions with children. Inspired by these previous attempts and achievments we initiated a research program within compulsory school in Sweden, starting with kids from their first year in school. Furthermore philosophy is often supposed to play an important role to develop intellectual capacities, to make thinking more logical and coherent, but at the same time more open and flexible.
Philosophy therefore is a good preparation for all kinds of study and intellectual work.
IAPC has since 1970 developed a multifaceted pedagogical program, covering the whole range from kindergarten to adult education and training of teachers, who want to use the program. Lipman has published several stories for children of different ages and added manuals packed with advice, plans for lessons, plays, examples of philosophical themes, hints about further reading, and suggestions how to develop philosophical ideas in the texts. His work builds on the assumption that the ability to discuss and to listen is fundamental to the development of the capacity of thinking. Critical consciousness and autonomous thinking are to grow through increased acquaintance with the tools of rationality in an environment where they are allowed to be used freely. At the IAPC and other centres inspired by Lipman many attempts have been made to show positive effects of training in philosophy on schoolwork in general.