The Hollyhock House photographed by Lukas Hutton, age 8.

Can Children Do Philosophy?,
by Karin Murris
(Word Document)

International Council of Philosophical Inquiry with Children

From the dozens of people who have read The Selfish Fish, I'm the only one who remains convinced that it is a children's movie. Admittedly, it would have a hard time even getting a PG-13 rating, but that's beside the point. The fact that I also believe Wittgenstein's On Certainty to be particularly well suited for young audiences doesn't usually help me win this argument.

I've tried a more timid approach: The Selfish Fish is a version of On Certainty for children. This hasn't really worked either. Adult readers often mistake structural complexity for inscrutability, forgetting that they used to like countless things they didn't quite understand when they were kids. The difficulty in enjoying a piece that's not fully fathomable is an adult aberration; the tendency to blame the writer is a Hollywood one.

In the article linked above, Karin Murris effectively contends for children's abilities for philosophy. Without offering further evidence, I will append that children are the only ones capable of doing philosophy as I understand it. They unfailingly ask the right questions.

The right questions are asked in The Selfish Fish. The answers are fictional – either enlightening or bothersome, depending on your perspective.