German-Japanese Research Initiative on Philosophizing with Children
(Deutsch-Japanische Forschungsinitiative zum Philosophieren mit Kindern / DJFPK)

DJFPK is a cooperative research effort centered at the Hodegetics Institute of the College of Education, Karlsruhe, and the Department of Learning Science, Graduate School of Education, Hiroshima University. It was founded on August 18, 2005.

Spokespersons: PD Dr. Eva Marsal (Germany), Prof. Dr. Takara Dobashi (Japan)
Liaison to the project “PhD – PmKJ”, University of Hamburg: Felix Lund
Liaison to the project “Children Philosophize”, University of Regensburg/Munich: Dr. Bar-bara Weber, The Austrian Center of Philosophy with Children (ACPC), Mag. Dr. Dr. hc. Daniela Camhy

Statement of Purpose

Project Goals
The purpose of the German-Japanese Research Initiative on Philosophizing with Children (DJFPK) is to promote competency in the area of philosophical-ethical reflection. The Initiative’s primary goals are the development and enhancement of instruction in ethics and philosophy, as well as provision of support for efforts to develop philosophical-ethical reflective competency in related curricular areas such as religion, language study, and history. In addition, the Initiative deals with extra-curricular forms of philosophical-ethical learning, such as philosophizing in pre-schools or in groups especially organized for this purpose.

Practical Orientation
More precisely, it is the purpose of the Initiative to facilitate individual autonomy through the enhancement of philosophical-ethical judgment, allowing application and appropriate transfer of the values based on philosophical-ethical knowledge, worked out in independent reflection, to the situations of daily life. Of prime importance in this regard are human rights; that is, respect for ones own life and the lives of others in the global contexts of the human and natural worlds.

Cultural Tolerance and Internationalism
The research of the German-Japanese Research Initiative on Philosophizing with Children (DJFPK) thus examines theoretical foundations with the goal of applicability and usefulness in curricular and extra-curricular teaching and learning. The Initiative is especially focused on ways in which each culture’s transmission of philosophical-ethical reflective competency can be integrated into international and trans-cultural conceptions of promoting tolerance and respect vis-à-vis the uniqueness of others, while at the same time supporting opportunities for reflective, critical, and open-minded thinking.

The first common effort reflecting these stated goals will take the form of a book project:

Editors: Pd. Dr. Eva Marsal, PD, Dipl Psych (College of Education, Karlsruhe)
Prof. Dr. Takara Dobashi, Professor of Education (Hiroshima University)
Felix G. Lund, Cand. Phil with Prof. Dr. Ekkehard Martens (Hamburg University)
Dr. Barbara Weber (Regensburg University)
Project Coordination: Eva Marsal
Publisher Peter Lang