Conversation
Philosophy and the Making of Adolescence: A Conversation between Moghaddasi and Bayat
This conversation explores the relationship between philosophy and the experience of adolescence—a tense period between childhood and adulthood where identity, language, and meaning are still taking shape. Mahmoud Moghaddasi and Hossein Bayat discuss the possibilities and difficulties of doing philosophy with teenagers.
About this video
Adolescence is a period between two worlds: neither fully belonging to childhood nor accepted into the adult world. The adolescent lives in a critical state; they have lost a previous order and have not yet constructed a new one for understanding themselves, the other, and the world. For this reason, they need ideas, words, dialogue, and empathy to understand and express their inner experiences.
In this session, Mahmoud Moghaddasi and Hossein Bayat discuss how philosophy can contribute to the "making of adolescence." For the adolescent, philosophy is not merely theoretical instruction; it is an opportunity for thinking, naming experiences, being heard, questioning, and being recognized.
At the same time, doing philosophy with teenagers is no simple task. The adolescent does not always align with models of philosophy for children, nor are they necessarily ready for the abstract philosophical inquiry of adults. Therefore, dialogue with them requires a delicate skill; a skill that is both sensitive to the adolescent's psyche and capable of providing the opportunity for thinking, critique, and self-understanding.
The importance of this conversation lies in linking philosophy, education, psychology, and the issue of adolescent identity. This program is beneficial for teachers, parents, educators, counselors, and those interested in applied philosophical inquiry with teenagers.
