Abstract
<jats:p>Philosophy for Children and Our Values The Ship of Existence: Great Questions of Little Sailors Is an interdisciplinary study designed to guide childrens intellectual, moral, and emotional development through philosophical inquiry and values education. Drawing upon philosophy, ethics, educational sciences, psychology, and pedagogy, the book offers both a theoretical framework and practical methods for engaging children in meaningful conversations about values. The primary aim of the work is not merely to transmit information but to help children understand themselves, others, and the world around them more consciously. To achieve this goal, fundamental human values such as curiosity, questioning, critical thinking, empathy, justice, honesty, responsibility, courage, tolerance, and environmental awareness are explored through ageappropriate stories, dialogues, reading passages, and educational activities. One of the distinctive contributions of the book is its philosophical narrative entitled The Ship of Existence, which introduces young readers to major thinkers such as al-Kindī, al-Fārābī, Avicenna (Ibn Sīnā), Averroes (Ibn Rushd), Ibn Ṭufayl, Ahmad Yasawī, and René Descartes. Through this imaginative voyage, children encounter fundamental philosophical questions and discover the shared intellectual heritage of humanity in a manner suitable to their developmental level. Classical virtues such as wisdom, justice, temperance, and courage are also illustrated through examples from everyday life. Rather than adopting a didactic and prescriptive approach, the book emphasizes the language of love, empathy, dialogue, and participatory learning. It highlights the roles that parents and educators can play in supporting childrens moral and intellectual growth while offering practical methods such as storytelling, roleviii playing, group discussions, moral dilemma activities, and social responsibility projects. The volume contains twenty-eight thematic reading texts addressing topics including family relationships, friendship, selfconfidence, time management, environmental responsibility, compassion for animals, aging, cooperation, honesty, nature, and the love of learning. These texts are designed to foster both personal development and social awareness among children. Ultimately, the book seeks to teach children not only what to think, but more importantly how to think. It aims to cultivate critical reasoning, moral judgment, intercultural understanding, and a virtue-centered outlook on life. As such, it serves as a valuable resource for parents, teachers, counselors, and all educators interested in nurturing thoughtful, responsible, and ethically aware future generations. Keywords: Philosophy for Children; Values Education; Moral Education; Child Development; Critical Thinking; Virtues; Character Education; Empathy; Multiculturalism; Family Education; Environmental Awareness; Child Psychology; Ethics; Philosophical Inquiry; Childrens Literature.</jats:p>