The ACPC Austrian Center of Philosophy for/with Children and Youth was founded in 1985 and is dedicated to the promotion of the new branch of research "Philosophy for Children and Youth", i.e. to further develop it theoretically and practically. The ACPC is the bearer of the Institute of Philosophy for/with Children, was the first institute in Europe and is still the only one in German-speaking countries.
The "Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children" (IAPC) at Montclair State University (New Jersey, USA), where intensive studies have been carried out since the late 1960s, provided the main impetus for doing philosophy with children and youth. The philosopher Matthew Lipman did pioneering work in this field and founded the world's first Institute for Philosophy for Children at Montclair State University.
The Institute of Philosophy for Children and Youth promotes education and further training for children, youth and adults, advises educational institutions, plans and develops projects as well as seminars, workshop materials and serves as a philosophical advice centre.
It also supports the exchange between the Philosophy for Children and Youth and other philosophical traditions and promotes transdisciplinary work at the interface between the Philosophy and the social, cultural humanities and natural sciences.
Research and EU-projects, theoretical work in the field of basic scientific research, material development, concrete investigations and evaluations of school experiments are carried out and published with the aim of transferring knowledge into practice.
An additional task is the processing and documentation of historical and current references to Philosophy for Children and Youth as well as the archiving of the extensive literature collected and accessible in our library. Seminars, courses, workshops, symposia and congresses are organised, working and project groups initiated, experiences and work results published.
2025 is a special year - the "Institute of Philosophy for Children and Youth" celebrates its 40th anniversary. The results are very pleasing: more than 30,000 teachers attended training and further education events organised by the Institute and more than 60,000 children and young people took part in philosophy courses.
There is a close co-operation with international universities, schools, NGOs, as well as various adult education institutions.
The Austrian Society of Philosophy with Children is an active member of the "International Council for Philosophical Inquiry with Children" (ICPIC), a founding member of the "European Foundation for the Advancement of Doing Philosophy with Children" (SOPHIA), an international institution that aims to promote the exchange of experience between academics and practitioners from more than 90 countries and to organise conferences and congresses. The Austrian Society of Philosophy with Children is also a long-standing member of the Austrian Association of Scientific Societies (VWGÖ) and a member of the Austrian League for Child and Youth Health.
Philosophizing with children and youth
Why philosophize with children and youth?
Philosophizing with children and youth is not about reproducing factual knowledge, but it being an activity. The aim is to make children and youth aware of their ability to argue and to build on this ability. However, it is not a reduction to conceptual, argumentative and classifying thinking, nor is it merely an adoption of certain rules and conceptual content of existing language games, but rather an awareness of one's own use of language, which is reflected upon.
You can read more about philosophizing with children and youth here.
Austrian Center of Philosophy with Children and Youth
+43 (0)316 90370 201
Karmeliterhof
Karmeliterplatz 2, 2nd floor
8010 Graz, Austria
Mo - Th 08:00-16:00
Fr 08:00-12:00
kinderphilosophie-gesellschaft.uni-graz.at