'What's Philosophy For?' by Joan Lennon

 Great Minds - 2500 Years of Thinkers and Philosophy 

written by Joan Haig and Joan Lennon 

illustrated by Andre Ducci 

published by Templar Books

out 14 September 2023

for 8-12 year olds

If you've ever asked yourself questions like

What is a good way to act?

How should we treat animals?

What is time?

Who am I?

How do I know something is true?

How do I know something is beautiful?

BUT you've also said to yourself, 'Yes, well, philosophy - it's all very good but it's not for me', it's too late. You're already a philosopher.

It's a cliché to say 'I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as we enjoyed writing it' but delving into the lives and thoughts of these 19 philosophers and then collaborating with the illustrator Andre Ducci to present what we found on the page in fabulously bold colour and layout was fun! And challenging. And eye-opening.

And full of surprises - finding out the stories behind these great thinkers has shed light on their ideas in unexpected ways. (And it was interesting to discover just how many of them were not very good at school and had terrible handwriting!) What's philosophy for? Asking questions and thinking about the answers. What questions? What answers? Join us in Great Minds and find out how this selection of thinkers looked at what everyone thought was a given - the only possible way of seeing the world - and said,

 

'Hang on a minute ...'

A bit of blurb:

Great Minds - 2500 Years of Thinkers and Philosophy

Aristotle's ideas shaped our understanding of the natural world for hundreds of years. Yacob's Hatäta laid the grounds for equality long before our time. Gandhi's philosophy inspired non-violent protest movements all over the world, and Langer shook up our understanding of what art is and can be. The brilliant ideas from each of these amazing thinkers have stayed with humans for centuries, teaching us new ways of uncovering our world and understanding each other.

Covering ideas from the last 2500 years, explore the time periods that shaped each thinker's ideas, unpack the theories in accessible, easy to digest text and discover the impact they had for the years to come. Presented in graphic novel style, this is a book to inspire a new generation of thinkers and philosophers.

Joan Lennon website

Joan Lennon Instagram

Joan Haig Instagram

Andre Ducci Instagram

Talking History - 150 Years of Speakers and Speeches - another book by Joan Haig, Joan Lennon and Andre Ducci, for 8-12 year olds, from Templar Books