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Philosophy & Children

What Would Socrates Say To Mrs Smith?

Susan Gardner gets some childcare tips from the wisest man in ancient Athens.

What is Mrs Smith to do? Eight-year-old Johnny has not budged from in front of the television since she told him it was time for bed twenty minutes ago.

“Make it happen” will certainly be the response of those of you who place a high priority on compliance. “Every child,” so this reasoning goes, “must be integrated into an interdependent social system populated with other people who have needs, wants and responsibilities of their own. Having a non-compliant child in any social unit can wreak utter havoc.”

This view, sometimes referred to as an ‘authoritarian’ approach to parenting, has much merit.

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