Owl and the Moon, the last of five stories in Arnold
Lobel's Owl at Home, serves as an excellent starting point for philosophical
discussion about friendship, knowledge, and truth with elementary
students. In this story, the moon follows Owl home. He tells the
moon to go home, but when the moon goes behind a cloud, he is sad
and wants the moon to come back.
The topic of friendship is very pertinent to
the lives of children and one that philosophers have debated
for a long time. "How might 'friendship' be looked at from a philosophical
perspective?", you may ask. Questions such as, "What is the nature
of frienship?"; "What are the rules of friendship?"; and "What constitues
a friend?", are all philosophical questions. Can colleagues be friends - online strangers, parents, even the moon?
Aristotle wrote about the different kinds of friendship--Friendships
of Utility; Friendships of Pleasure; and Friendships of Virtue. Not all philosophers, however, believe in this model. Kant, for example, believes
that people do not seek friendship simply for friendship's sake;
but rather, to serve a greater purpose and to satisfy some selfish
need. Frienships
are not possible from Kant's perspective. Discussion of the terms
of friendships is an excellent way to segue into a discussion about
the different kinds of friendship. Wondering about terms of frienship
will get kids thinking about what, if anything, we owe our friends.
This book deals especially with reciprocity in friendship because
a living (personified) animal wants to be friends with an inanimate
thing. In discussion, children will need to think about whether or not every friendship
has the same terms, or if the terms change for different kinds of
friendships.
Another topic that Owl and the Moon addresses
is the question of how we know what we know and what makes something
true. Owl says, "If I am looking at you, moon, then you must be looking
back at me." Kant argued that "[k]nowledge is an objective interpretation
of reality, but it is not reality itself". This aspect of the story
may spark an interesting discussion about Owl's perceptions. How does
Owl know that the moon can really see him? Can the moon see Owl in
reality, or is it just Owl's interpretation? Although Owl believes
that the moon is indeed looking back at him, some would argue that
it might not be the case in reality. This also raises the issue of
truth and what makes something true. Some would argue that something
is true because you believe it is true. Others would
say that only a theory that is provable through science can be deemed
true.
In summary, the friendship between Owl and the moon, as described
in Arnold Lobel's story, can be an excellent place to start discussion
with your students about some of these philosophical questions regarding
the terms and types of friendship, as well as knowledge and truth.
Continue
to question set for this story
