Antoine de Saint-Exupery's
enduring classic, The Little Prince, offers a longer, more advanced
story through which to engage children in philosophical discussion.
The author's personal experiences as a pilot who was at one point
stranded in the desert lend this story a uniquely accessible element.
There is a certain piquancy added whenever life is intertwined with
fiction and nowhere is this more evident than in Saint-Exupery's
stunning description of his and of his protagonist's situation. His
character is believable and yet undergoes fantastical encounters.
The pilot's realistic struggle with his harsh environment juxtaposed
to his poignant appreciation for its natural beauty betokens first-hand
experience, from which Saint-Exupery certainly drew. This grounding
of the supernatural in real life will provide children with a framework
to contemplate the extraordinary.
Through the travels and travails of the little prince, we encounter
open-ended
philosophical concepts such as 'authority,' 'ephemeral' and 'loneliness.' We
are invited to contemplate opposing definitions of 'ownership;' contrasting the
concept of possession from the little prince's responsibility-based to the businessman's
avarice-based perspective. The little prince also draws from his interactions
with others to validate or dismiss concepts, such as friendship. Seeing through
his innocent, yet critical, lenses allows us to examine our own pre-formed notions
surrounding these premises.
The little prince asks questions children would be likely to pose themselves,
in similar situations. Conversely, many of the answers he receives come from
very 'grown-up' grown-ups. Illogical as they may seem in this context, the characters' responses
to the little prince reflect real-world scenarios. 'Do as I say because I'm the
king,' doesn't differ drastically from 'because I'm the parent, or teacher.' Additionally,
we are told that the little prince, "Never in all his life let go of a question
once he had asked it" (47). The example of the little prince to children is to
keep questioning until you receive an answer, then, examine that answer. The
ongoing process of critical evaluation underlying this book is the cornerstone
not only of the following question sets, but also of philosophy for children.
This incredible work represents a rich resource for those invested in cultivating
a community of inquiry in the elementary classroom.
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to question set for this story
