From Laboratory to Praxis – Communities of Philosophical Inquiry as a Model for Social Activism

By Arie Kizel

This text explores the relationship between communities of philosophical inquiry—central to the Philosophy for Children (P4C) movement—and the development of social activism.

Drawing upon Matthew Lipman’s foundational writings and contemporary perspectives, I will examine how the philosophical classroom can function not only as a space for thinking but also as a platform for cultivating dispositions, skills, and orientations necessary for democratic engagement and social change.

1. Introduction: Philosophy as Critical, Creative, and Caring Practice

Communities of philosophical inquiry were created to encourage children to think in ways that are critical, creative, and caring. Influenced by thinkers such as Matthew Lipman, the philosophical community engages children in questioning the ideas, beliefs, and values that shape social life. Philosophy, in this context, becomes both a critical practice—challenging what is taken for granted—and a creative one—opening possibilities beyond the dominant norms.

These communities operate as safe, trusting spaces where children can raise questions that matter to them, deliberate together, and experience different modes of decision-making. They also cultivate socio-philosophical sensitivity, enabling children to recognize assumptions embedded in daily life.

As the field expands, an important question arises: To what extent can P4C serve as a platform for social activism—both during childhood and into adulthood? This text focuses on that question.

2. The Philosophical Laboratory and its Temporal Dimensions

Lipman envisioned the philosophical community of inquiry as a kind of “philosophical laboratory,” a protected space in which learners test ideas, examine concepts, and practice inquiry. Yet this laboratory is not sealed off from the world. Rather, Lipman suggested that what happens within it has consequences for life beyond it.

According to Lipman, the classroom community of inquiry serves two temporal roles:

1. In the present, it trains children in philosophical dispositions and activist competencies—critical questioning, relevance-seeking, meaning-making, and democratic engagement.
2. In the future, it prepares students to carry these capacities into adulthood, influencing the wider social world.

Thus, the community of inquiry is simultaneously a model of activism in the present and a model for activism in the future.

3. Dissatisfaction, and the Relevance of Philosophy

We should add an important element to the contemporary discussion by arguing that philosophy today must be grounded not in abstract ideas but in lived reality. We propose that the three classical philosophical pillars—wonder, doubt, and commotion—must be joined by dissatisfaction, especially in social and political contexts marked by inequality.

This dissatisfaction is not trivial discontent but a philosophical orientation that pushes learners to question the status quo and imagine alternatives. As a result of such dissatisfaction, children begin to view themselves as capable of influencing their environment.

Thus, a central issue becomes whether P4C can help children understand themselves as agents of change and whether the philosophical laboratory can genuinely cultivate an activist stance.

4. Matthew Lipman’s Thought: Meaning-Making and Relevance as Action

Lipman's writings reveal a consistent belief that philosophy naturally aligns with activism. For him, philosophy emerges from children’s curiosity about the world, and therefore, the tools of philosophical inquiry are also tools for social engagement.

4.1 The dialectic of affirmation and criticism

In Lipman’s model, the community of inquiry fosters two positions simultaneously:

• An affirmative stance that seeks to understand and articulate existing conditions.
• A critical stance that challenges, questions, and reimagines these conditions.

This duality allows children to experience both belonging within society and the ability to think beyond it.

4.2 Meaning-making as action

For Lipman, meaning is not merely abstract. Meaning-making is a kind of action, an active involvement in interpreting one’s environment. Children seek meaning in learning, in experience, and in social contexts. When education ceases to be meaningful, students disengage.

Philosophical inquiry reinserts meaning into learning, and this meaning becomes a foundation for future action. It enables children to articulate problems, propose ideas, and understand relationships between self and society.

4.3 Inquiry as preparation for democratic life

Lipman believed that philosophical inquiry prepares children for participation in a democratic society. Through questioning, dialogue, and the search for reasons, children learn to exercise judgment, understand perspectives, and develop personal autonomy. These practices are themselves forms of proto-activism, making democratic engagement possible.

5. The Philosophical Community of Inquiry as a Training Ground for Activism

Lipman identified two goals for philosophical education:

1. A social goal: preparing students to become members of a democratic society.
2. A personal goal: enabling them to think for themselves.

Together, these goals create conditions for activism. Students learn to engage in conceptual creation, to make meaning collectively, and to question norms. The community of inquiry becomes an active space in which learners participate in making sense of their lives.

5.1 Agency and meaning-making

Drawing on Deleuze and Guattari, some scholars interpret philosophical activity as a practice of creating concepts, stimulating agency, and shaping relational spaces. Through philosophical dialogue, children learn that they can take part in meaning-making rather than merely receiving meaning from authority. This agency is at the heart of activism.

5.2 Purpose and direction

Philosophical discussions also allow children to gain a sense of purpose and direction. As they articulate aspirations and evaluate choices, they develop criteria for making decisions. Lipman emphasized that this process is essential for autonomy: students must become reasonable for their own good, not simply to satisfy societal expectations.

5.3 Relevance and the world beyond the classroom

Lipman insisted that education must show its relevance to the world. In the classroom, children first reflect on their own experiences, recognizing them as meaningful. Encountering peers with different experiences deepens understanding of diversity, otherness, and community. These encounters broaden the foundation upon which activism can be built.

5.4 The importance of limits

The philosophical laboratory also helps children explore not only what is possible but also what is difficult or impossible. Understanding limits develops empathy, listening skills, and awareness of social constraints—important components of activist thinking.

6. Activation of Social Awareness Through Philosophical Practice

Social awareness grows as learners ask questions rooted in their social contexts. In heterogeneous classrooms, where children come from diverse linguistic, ethnic, or cultural backgrounds, philosophical dialogue highlights multiple identities and broadens students’ understanding of others.

Lipman and Sharp emphasized that meaning emerges through context and connections. Understanding context enables students to engage in activist thinking, which Lipman described as involving:

• Discovering alternatives
• Discovering impartiality
• Discovering consistency
• Giving reasons
• Achieving comprehensiveness
• Understanding part–whole relationships

These elements form the structural basis for activist reasoning.

7. Three Models of Activism in the Community of Inquiry

Based on educational leadership theories, the article identifies three types of activism that can arise within philosophical communities of inquiry.

7.1 Establishment activism

This model draws on institutional leadership theory and focuses on improving organizations. In a school context, this might take form in student councils or committees that work to enhance the institution's mission. Establishment activism is not radical; it seeks to strengthen organizational coherence, justice, and performance.

7.2 Protest activism

This model originates in protest leadership theory. It emerges in response to structural constraints or injustices. Protest activism challenges cultures and systems that reproduce inequality. Within the philosophical community of inquiry, it relates to “enabling identities”—allowing marginalized voices to question dominant assumptions. It aligns with critical pedagogy’s critique of “banking education,” emphasizing creative and dialogical learning instead of passive reception.

7.3 Advocacy activism

Based on the advocacy leadership model, this form of activism recognizes the political nature of education. It resists inequitable reforms and seeks alternative policies. Advocacy activism engages with community members outside the school, fostering collaboration and emphasizing shared responsibility for social change. In this vision, students trained in philosophical inquiry can become future advocates who understand the school’s role within society and work collectively to improve it.

8. Philosophical Communities of Inquiry and the Structure of Activism

Research into youth activism traditionally focused on individual traits that predisposed certain people to activism. More recent approaches emphasize structural availability—the presence of social contexts that support engagement.

Philosophical communities of inquiry serve precisely this role. They establish structures—dialogue, questioning, contextual reasoning—that make activism intelligible and accessible. They function as communities in which young people can practice democratic habits, challenge norms, and develop a sense of agency.

9. The PEACE Project: A Contemporary Example of Praxis

The PEACE project—Philosophical Enquiry Advancing Cosmopolitan Engagement—illustrates how philosophical inquiry can be linked directly to activism. Designed to foster cosmopolitan understanding, it uses philosophical dialogue to challenge prejudice, overcome cultural barriers, and encourage democratic citizenship.

By emphasizing equality, diversity, and solidarity, the project aligns closely with Lipman’s belief that philosophical dialogue cultivates tolerance, conceptual thinking, and the ability to consider alternatives. Students who grow up practicing dialogue in this manner are better prepared to sustain intercultural engagement and contribute to social cohesion.

10. Conclusion

The philosophical community of inquiry acts as a bridge between the classroom and society at large. It trains young people in the skills and dispositions necessary for democratic life: critical, creative, and caring thinking; contextual understanding; recognition of otherness; and the courage to question.

Lipman’s ideas—meaning as action, relevance as examination of life, and influence as democratic practice—generate two circles of influence: one in the present, where activist skills are learned; and one in the future, where these skills can shape society. Thus, the philosophical laboratory becomes a place not only for thinking but for cultivating activists who can challenge organizational structures, resist unjust systems, or advocate for alternative social futures.

In this way, communities of philosophical inquiry contribute to the development of individuals capable of engaging in social activism of varied kinds—whether through constructive participation, protest, or advocacy. They offer young people a democratic practice of dialogue that makes social change not only imaginable but actionable.