Bloomsbury Philosophy, Education and Community: Theories, Practices and Possibilities

Why should we care about philosophy? Public philosophy, or doing philosophy in the community is an important and growing trend revealed not only by the phenomenon of the Parisian philosophy café, but also the contemporary rise of multiple grassroots projects, for example the Philosophy in Pubs movement. This book is the first to academically examine the theoretical contributions and practical applications of community philosophy. Bringing together voices from diverse contexts and subject areas, from activism and political action to religious environments, arts organisations and museums to maximum security prisons this collection asks key questions about the point of making philosophy for everyone: How do you do philosophy with the public?; 'Is philosophy in the community the same as academic philosophy?; Why is community philosophy important?' Including contributions from professional philosophers, educators, healthcare workers and researchers, and community philosophy practitioners, this collection offers perspectives on a growing area of study. It offers a timely critical introduction to, and analysis of, what philosophy can be when grounded in socially-engaged activities.