- Philosophy with children: what the evidence says
- Questions about life and meaning
- Questions about right and wrong
- Questions about the mind and reality
- Philosophical questions for kids
- Running a philosophy chat at home or in class
- How to get better philosophical conversations
- My advice for asking philosophical questions
- Frequently asked questions
Here are 36 philosophical questions about life, the mind, right and wrong, and reality, plus a set written for children. Kids can handle these better than many adults expect: Philosophy for Children uses questions like 'What is friendship?' in classrooms, though the evidence on whether it raises grades is mixed.
Philosophical questions are the ones with no answer at the back of the book. That's exactly why they're so good for dinner tables, classrooms, long walks and late-night chats. They make you explain what you believe and why, and they're impossible to win by shouting. I've grouped these by theme, starting with questions about how to live and ending with a set for younger thinkers.
Philosophy with children: what the evidence says
Philosophy for Children, often shortened to P4C, aims to teach reasoning and argument skills, usually through a community of inquiry where the teacher facilitates and the group explores a question together. The evidence comes with an honest catch worth knowing:
| Study | What it found |
|---|---|
| Durham University trial, 2015 | Over 3,000 primary school pupils, backed by the Education Endowment Foundation; found gains in attainment |
| Larger later study | Showed little attainment advancement |
| What it means | Treat philosophy as a way to build thinking and talking skills, not as a sure route to better test scores |
I like that honesty, because it reflects the spirit of philosophy itself: look at the evidence, notice when it conflicts, and keep asking questions.
Questions about life and meaning
The big ones. They're good for long conversations and journal entries, and they'll keep going long after dessert.
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What makes a life a good life?
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Is it possible to be happy all the time, and would you want to be?
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Does life need a purpose to be meaningful?
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Are we the same person we were ten years ago?
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What would you do differently if you knew you couldn't fail?
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Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?
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What do we owe the people who come after us?
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Can you be wise without being clever?
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Is a long life always better than a short one?
Questions about right and wrong
Ethical dilemmas spark the best debates. Ask everyone to give a reason, not just an answer.
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Is it ever right to lie?
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If nobody would ever find out, would you still do the right thing?
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Should you keep a promise if breaking it would help more people?
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Are people born good, or do they learn to be good?
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Is it wrong to eat animals?
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Do we have a duty to help strangers?
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Is it fair to punish someone for something they did when they were young?
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Can a good person do a bad thing and still be good?
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Is it braver to stand up for yourself or for someone else?
Questions about the mind and reality
These stretch your thinking. There are no wrong answers, only better and worse reasons.
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How do you know you're not dreaming right now?
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Do animals think in words?
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If a computer could feel, would it deserve rights?
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Is the colour red the same for you as for me?
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Do we have free will, or is everything already decided?
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What is time, and does it exist without clocks?
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If you replaced every part of a ship one by one, is it still the same ship?
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Can you ever really know another person's mind?
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Is anything certain?
Philosophical questions for kids
Simple to ask, surprisingly deep to answer. Brilliant for car journeys and classrooms.
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What is friendship?
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Do animals have feelings?
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Is it ever OK to break a rule?
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What makes something fair?
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Where do thoughts come from?
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Would you rather be clever or kind?
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If you could live forever, would you want to?
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Is a toy that talks alive?
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What makes you, you?
Running a philosophy chat at home or in class
Sit in a circle if you can, so nobody's at the front. Read out one question and give everyone a minute of quiet thinking time before anyone speaks. Ask the first person to share a view and a reason, then ask the next person whether they agree, disagree or want to add something, always with a reason. Your job isn't to steer people to the right answer; it's to keep the reasons coming and gently ask 'what if' when an idea gets too comfortable. Finish by asking whether anyone changed their mind, even a little. That moment, when someone says 'hang on, I'm not sure any more', is the whole point, and it's worth celebrating out loud. Children often get there faster than adults, because they're less worried about looking clever.
How to get better philosophical conversations
- Ask for reasons. 'Why do you think that?' turns an opinion into an argument.
- Play with examples. 'What if...' helps test whether an idea holds up.
- Listen to disagree well. Repeat someone's view back before you challenge it.
- Be comfortable not finishing. Good philosophical questions rarely end with a neat answer, and that's fine.
- With children, act as a facilitator, not the person with the answer, as the community of inquiry approach suggests.
For more conversation ideas, my round-up of party board games includes some that spark great debates, and teachers might enjoy my piece on why people choose to teach elementary school.
My advice for asking philosophical questions
Pick one question, not ten, and give it room to breathe. A single good question like 'Is it ever right to lie?' can fill a whole dinner, and the conversation will wander somewhere you didn't expect. With children, start with the kids' set and let them lead. You'll be surprised how sharp their answers are.
Frequently asked questions
What are good philosophical questions?
Questions with no single right answer that make you explain your reasons, such as 'Is it ever right to lie?' or 'What makes a life a good life?'
What are philosophical questions for kids?
Simple questions with deep answers, such as 'What is friendship?', 'Do animals have feelings?' or 'What makes something fair?'
What is Philosophy for Children?
A movement, often called P4C, that teaches children reasoning and argument skills, usually through a community of inquiry led by a facilitating teacher.
Does philosophy improve children's grades?
The evidence is mixed. A 2015 Durham University trial with over 3,000 pupils found gains, but a larger later study showed little attainment advancement.
How do you discuss a philosophical question?
Ask for reasons, test ideas with examples, repeat others' views before challenging them, and be comfortable leaving the question open.
