Christopher Phillips facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christopher Phillips
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Phillips discussing the Bill of Rights with New Jersey High School students in 2008
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| Born | July 15, 1959 Newport News, Virginia |
| Occupation | Author, educator, pro-democracy advocate |
| Alma mater | College of William & Mary (B.A.) Montclair State University(MEd) Edith Cowan University (PhD) |
| Period | 1996–present |
| Subject | Socratic dialogue, philosophy, democracy, constitution |
| Notable works | Socrates Café |
Christopher Phillips (born July 15, 1959) is an American author, teacher, and a big supporter of democracy. He is most famous for his book Socrates Café, which came out in 2001. A radio show called him the "Johnny Appleseed of Philosophy." This means he spread ideas about philosophy just like Johnny Appleseed spread apple seeds!
Phillips's latest book, A Child at Heart, was published in 2018. It talks about how to keep your creativity and curiosity alive at any age.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Christopher Phillips started reading about Plato and his famous discussions, called Socratic dialogues, when he was around 12 years old. After finishing high school, he went to the College of William & Mary. There, he earned a degree in Government.
He continued his education, earning several master's degrees. He studied teaching at Montclair State University. He also learned about teaching philosophy to children. Later, he earned a PhD in communications from Edith Cowan University in Australia.
Socrates Cafés
Before starting his famous "Socrates Cafés," Christopher Phillips worked as a school teacher and a newspaper reporter. He also wrote for national magazines.
His idea for Socrates Cafés was to create open meetings where anyone could come and discuss philosophy. These meetings happen in many places. You can find them in cafés, nursing homes, churches, schools, and even prisons. In schools, they are sometimes called "Philosophers' Club."
Phillips was inspired by Matthew Lipman, who believed in teaching philosophy to kids. He also learned about "Café Philosophique" from Marc Sautet. These ideas helped Phillips create his own unique discussion groups.
In his book Constitution Café, Phillips describes traveling across the United States. He held discussions using a special method he developed for the Socrates Cafés. This method combines the Socratic way of asking questions with Thomas Jefferson's ideas about freedom and including everyone.
Phillips has also worked on projects like the Declaration Project. This project collects important declarations of independence and rights from different times and places. He also leads Constitutional Cafe and Democracy Cafe initiatives. These groups talk about possible changes to the United States Constitution.
Teaching and Awards
Christopher Phillips has received special recognition for his work. In 2012, he won the Distinguished American Leadership Award.
He has also taught at several universities. He taught in the graduate program for Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University. He was also a Senior Writing Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. Phillips has been a Senior Education Fellow at the National Constitution Center. He was also a fellow at Harvard University's Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics. He continues to share his ideas by writing for his SocratesCafe.com blog and other publications.
Books by Christopher Phillips
Here are some of the books Christopher Phillips has written:
- Constitution Cafe: Jefferson's Brew for a True Revolution (2011)
- Socrates in Love: Philosophy for a Die-Hard Romantic (2007)
- Six Questions of Socrates: A Modern-Day Journey of Discovery through World Philosophy (2004)
- Socrates Café: A Fresh Taste of Philosophy (2001)
- A Child at Heart: Unlocking Your Creativity, Curiosity and Reason at Every Age and Stage of Life (2018)
- Ceci Ann's Day of Why (2006)
- The Philosophers' Club (2004)
See also
- Socrates Café
- Socratic dialogue
- Walter Kaufmann
- Matthew Lipman
- Justus Buchler
