The "Philosophy for Children" Program was held at IZÜ

The "4th philosophy for Children Workshop," organized by the New Turkey Education Foundation (YETEV) in collaboration with Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University (İZÜ), focused on the theme of "Philosophy and Family" this year. The importance of the family in raising individuals who think critically and reflectively was emphasized during the program.

The "4th Philosophy for Children Workshop" (ÇİF), organized by YETEV and İZÜ, took place at the İZÜ Abdullah Tivnikli Conference Hall. The workshop featured speakers Prof. Dr. Yaylagül Ceran Karataş from Istanbul Medeniyet University and Prof. Dr. Enis Doko from Ibn Haldun University. The event was attended by İZÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Cevat Acar, Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Erhan İçener, YETEV Shools General Manager Hayati Oktay, and administrators and teachers from the workshop was "Philosophy and Family."

OKTAY: THE FAMILY IS THE BEGINNING SHCOOL OF PHILOSOPHY
In his opening speech, YETEV Schools General Manager Hayati Oktay highlighted that the "Philosophy for Children" lessons, which started in 2021, now cover all students from second to seventh grade at YETEV-affiliated shcools. Referring to Newton's questioning of why an apple falls to the ground, Oktay pointed out how this simple question changed the course of the world. He continued: "Since Socrates, humanity has been seeking answers to the question 'why'. The first institution where this question found meaning is the family, the starting school of philosophy. Our goal is to raise students who ask, question, and approach life with critical thinking."

ACAR: IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHERE WE ROOT OURSELVES
Prof. Dr. Ahmet Cevat Acar, the Rector of İZÜ, emphasized the negative impact on children's intellectual and mental development when their questions are left unanswered. He stated that it is impossible for someone suspends their critical thinking to become a good person, good citizen, or good Muslim. Reminding that philosophy is not limited to the activities of ancient Greek thinkers, Acar emphasized the importance of guiding people from our own beliefs and cultural world. He said, "It is important where we root ourselves. We have all seen where Western civilization has led humanity. The values of Islamic civilization must be passed on to new generations, and this is more important than we might think." 

KARATAŞ: THE FAMİLY IS A WAY OF BEING TOGETHER
The first speaker of the workshop, Prof. Dr. Yaylagül Ceran Karataş from Istanbul Medeniyet University, addressed the question "What is the family?" in her talk titled "What is and what is Not the Family in the Context of Ethics, Political Economy, and Technology." She argued that the family should be considered not only in its social context but also in its existential aspect. "When talking about the family, we first need to clear our mindes of informational and conceptual pollution," Karataş stated, emphasizing that the family cannot be reduced to a stucture consisting only of a contract between mother, father, and child. She noted that genocides are not only committed with weapons, and we must recognize that we have also been subjected to political and epistemological genocides. "We need to redefine our concepts before discussing topics, including the family," she said. She also pointed out that the family, which was defined as an institution after the Industrial Revolution, cannot be reduced to this definition, and that Western-centric political economy and technological developments have transformed the family. " The family is a form of relationship, a way of being together. It forms a larger structure that includes the neighborhood. To create a world, we must first define our own concepts," Karataş concluded. 

PHILOSOPHY FOR CHILDREN TALKS
Following the opening speech, the "Philosophy for Children (ÇİFx) Talks" session discussed the role of the family in raising thinking individuals and the transformative effects of the digital age on the concept of a family. The session featured Doç. Dr. Rıdvan Karabulut, Director of the Social Sciences Vocational School at Kayseri University, and Doç. Dr. Esra İleri Türk, a faculty member at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University's Faculty of Islamic Sciences. After the session, participants moved on to the workshop activities.

The workshops, which included topics such as “Responsibility and Trust in the Family,” “Critical Thinking in the Digital World: Ways to Guide Children,” “The Silent Language of Bond: Role, Value, and Inquiry Experience in the Family,” “What is Truth and Friendship?”, “The Dialectic of Thinking: Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, and Decision Making in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” “Thinking About Existence with Adults: The Child, Mole, Fox, and Horse,” and “Oh No, Children Are Asking Questions!”, were followed by a closing session.

"BEING A FAMILY IN THE MODERN AGE"
The guest speaker for the closing session was Prof. Dr. Enis Doko from Ibn Haldun University’s Department of Philosophy. In his speech titled "The Family as a School of Wisdom," Doko discussed the reasons and consequences of the family increasingly being viewed as a mere contract or temporary choice in the modern age. He emphasized that the family is not just a social institution but also a fundamental environment that shapes identity, virtues, and spirituality. By comparing the views of contemporary philosophers with the approaches of Sufism, Doko argued that the family is a space where human values such as loyalty, compassion, sacrifice, and responsibility are learned.

The workshop concluded with the presentation of gifts to the workshop trainers and participants.