What can a child's questions teach us about life? Simple Questions, Big Ideas explores life's fundamental mysteries through everyday conversations with my daughter, Amara. From dreams and identity to money and meaning, her curiosity sparks reflections on the nature of existence, reminding us that the deepest truths often emerge not from certainty, but from wonder. This book is not about answers—it's about the questions that shape how we see the world.
Simple Questions, Big Ideas: The Philosophy Of Growing Up
I wrote this book (24 chapters, 252 pages) to help us better understand the world around us. To me, philosophy isn't about abstract theories—it's about examining everyday life, human relationships, and the connections that tie us together. At its heart, it's driven by our natural curiosity to understand the world we live in.
This book captures some of the philosophical questions my seven-year-old daughter, Amara, has raised. These aren't polished theories but her genuine efforts to make sense of the world through curiosity and reasoning. By sharing these, I aim to show that children, too, are natural philosophers, always seeking meaning. Yet, many in the academic world argue that children lack the capacity for deep philosophical thought, dismissing their reasoning as immature. This perspective stems from an elitist view of philosophy, which sees it as an intellectual pursuit reserved for a select few. Modernity's focus on instrumental development and individual freedom further perpetuates this view, suggesting that children's cognitive outlook is too underdeveloped to ask profound questions.
Carl Sagan, the renowned astronomer, challenges this assumption. He once said, "You go talk to kindergartners or first-grade kids, you find a class full of science enthusiasts. They ask deep questions. They ask, what is a dream, why do we have toes, why is the moon round, what is the birthday of the world, why is grass green? These are profound, important questions. They just bubble right out of them. You go talk to 12th graders and there's none of that. They've become incurious. Something terrible has happened between kindergarten and 12th grade." This highlights how, in the process of growing up, children often lose their natural ability to question and philosophize.
This innate curiosity reflects what the Japanese call shoshin, or "beginner's mind." Zen monk Shunryu Suzuki described this as the ability to approach life without preconceived notions, seeing endless possibilities. He wrote, "In the beginner's mind, there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind, there are few." Amara exemplifies this beginner's mind, exploring the world not with abstract theories but by drawing meaning from what she observes.
Henry David Thoreau also echoed this idea when he said, "I know not the first letter of the alphabet. I have always regretted that I was not as wise as the day I was born." His words remind us that fresh perspectives often lead to the deepest insights. Philosopher Georg Hegel, in turn, argued that human thinking is dynamic and always evolving. He suggested that children's intellectual growth mirrors the cultural and intellectual development of civilizations. Thought progresses in stages, and children's journeys of understanding are part of this ongoing evolution of human consciousness. Amara, in her childhood, is on this very journey of discovery.
This book explores the idea that children can engage in meaningful philosophical conversations. Unlike traditional philosophy, which often splits reality into rigid categories (a process known as dichotomization), children's questions reflect a more holistic view. Their thinking avoids the trap of categorization and instead captures the interconnectedness of the world. It's a natural, free-flowing way of thinking that comes from their unique way of understanding.
We live in a world where trees are sometimes cut down simply to make chiminea fireplaces or toothpicks. Children's questions can help us see the intricate connections within this fragile reality. Through their small but meaningful inquiries, we can gain a deeper understanding of existence, knowledge, values, and the nature of reality itself. This book celebrates those questions and the way they challenge us to reflect on what it truly means to be human.
