午夜剧场

Have you ever heard of terms like "Philosophy for Children" or "Philosophy Cafes"? These are activities where children or adults come together to think and freely discuss philosophical themes. I have been involved in these activities, collectively known as "philosophical dialogue," for about ten years now. I travel all over the country to provide guidance on how to conduct these dialogues, and I find myself getting busier every year. I am also frequently invited by companies to act as a facilitator for philosophical dialogues on themes such as "What is a good product?", "What is work?", and "What is compliance?" When people think of philosophy, they might have an image of someone reading difficult texts late into the night and thinking alone. However, as those who have seen Plato's "Dialogues" know, in ancient Greece, people engaged in heated discussions in public squares and markets called the Agora on themes closely tied to daily life, such as politics, life, and morality. In that sense, Philosophy for Children and Philosophy Cafes are a return to the way philosophy was practiced in ancient Greece.

Until now, many instructional books, introductory books, and manuals on how to conduct philosophical dialogues have been published. My new book, which I have just released, treats the issues that emerged as major philosophical themes for me during the practical activities mentioned above as philosophical problems. "Can thinking skills be nurtured?" "Do emotions and thought conflict?" "How should we handle irrational people?" "What is the relationship between dialogue and democracy?" Surprisingly, these questions were themes that past philosophers did not address much, but I felt they are becoming increasingly important today, so I have attempted to discuss them through trial and error. I believe that developing dialogue and thinking skills is a social challenge, not just one for school education. I would be happy if my book could contribute to that even in a small way.

I feel that many university personnel involved in philosophical dialogue are 午夜剧场 graduates or people influenced by them. Perhaps the ideas of Yukichi Fukuzawa, who valued discussion through the spoken word and built the Mita Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall), Japan's first public speaking hall, are still alive here.

Tetsuya Kono

Iwanami Shoten

256 pages, 2,300 yen (excluding tax)

*Affiliations and titles are as of the time of publication.