Children's philosophy of rules

In one of those “remember to always say yes” moments, I taught Philosophy for Children (P4C) this week—and was so glad for the chance! Our topic was rules: What makes a rule fair or not? Should you always follow the rules? That theme appeals to third graders—what third grader hasn’t howled that a rule isn’t faaiiirrr!? Plus I had an eye on the news: the whirlwind of change in our national rules—both laws and softer rules like social alignments and permissible speech. I figured that along with refreshed arguments about why their bedtime rules aren’t fair, the kids might soon appreciate tools to think about the more impactful changes they would be hearing about.

This was my second session with this group of third graders, so we had warmed up the previous week on some philosophy basics, like asking questions and giving reasons. To get them thinking about rules, I handed out six made-up rules like “Kids who miss more than five days of school can’t go on field trips,” and “To get a good score on a test, students have to answer the questions correctly” to kids in small groups. Then I asked them to decide whether their assigned rule was fair, and to give reasons why or why not. Collectively, the rules they thought were fair were the ones that applied to everyone, didn’t have obviously needed exceptions, and had a strong rationale. For example, they decided the field trip rule was unfair because it would penalize kids who got a bad illness (“what if you got the plague?”), and they thought the rule about tests was fair because tests are for showing mastery of a subject (not in exactly those words, of course!).

Wisdom of children's books

Then we dug a little deeper. I read the kids a picture book called The Araboolies of Liberty Street. (Thanks to the Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization PLATO] and their wonderful resources for teaching through children’s books ; grandparents might also appreciate the resources available via the Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children at Montclair State University.) On Liberty Street, all activities are controlled by the mean General, who threatens to call in the army when anyone violates one of his rules. The rules prohibit anything even remotely fun, such as going outside in the summer. They also require conformity, such as all the houses being painted white. Everyone on the street obeys the rules until the Araboolies move in. The Araboolies don’t speak English, and so don’t understand the rules, and they proceed to violate them in colorful ways. Finally the General does call in the army—but the kids come to the rescue. The General’s order to the army is that they eliminate the house and residents that are different (“weirdos”—a non-PC 1989 book, you know? Or wait, was that 2024?). So overnight the kids decorate all the houses except the General’s to resemble the Araboolie’s decorative one—and the army hauls away the General’s white house with the General and his equally mean wife shrieking from inside. 

This story deepened the insights the kids offered. They quickly concluded that the General’s rules were unfair because there was no good reason for them. So why follow them, I asked? Many of the children noticed that the people of Liberty Street followed the unfair rules because were afraid of the General and the army. One child went further, pointing out that the people also probably wanted to protect their children. Another pointed out that it wasn’t clear from the story that the General in the story even had the authority to decide on and enforce the rules. In the child’s words, “it’s not like there was an election or anything.”

Finally, I had the kids line up in the spot that best reflected their point of view: On the left, “we should always follow the rules”; on the right, “we should never follow the rules”; and in between “we should sometimes follow the rules and sometimes not.” The one brave kid on the left explained that “being good” is important. The two kids on the right were joking around, but their reason was “otherwise you won’t have any fun.” The rest of the class and the teacher chose the middle. Peer pressure? Probably. But there were also reasons. One great response rationale for being there was, yes, we should mostly follow the rules, but not if following the rule hurts someone or something—"like my pet.” The child had in mind something like this: If your parents’ rule was “don’t go outside at night,” but your cat got out and you needed to rescue it, you could break the rule so your cat would be safe.

Wisdom of children 

So to summarize the third-graders’ insights, rules should:

• Apply to all

• Have a clear benefit and rationale

• Recognize that not everyone is in the same circumstances

• Be made by people with appropriate authority

The third-graders were also happy, in the safety of their classroom, to say that rules can be broken if they are unfair or harmful. But they also recognized that potential rule-breakers are likely afraid for themselves or their children. 

Meanwhile, like everyone else, I’ve been starting and ending my days sucked into that whirlwind of legislative, legal, and social change spinning out from the Trump administration and its supporters. And, also like everyone else, I’ve been trying to figure out what to do about it. Unlike elected officials, federal employees, and undocumented immigrants, I don’t have to decide right now: But I will need to decide soon. Obviously, at the adult level, the issues become more fraught, the fear more real, and the choices and possibilities more consequential than most third-graders yet realize. Still, as we each decide what our reactions will be, it doesn’t hurt to keep the third-grade basics in mind.

PS. I gave the teacher the last word, so she could explain why her rules, like “no screaming in class” and “line your boots up by your locker,” were fair. The kids were convinced. (With one important exception: The teacher explained that the district requires snow boots, because kids with wet feet are unhappy kids. One child responded, “But my family can’t afford them.” Hmm…)

PPS. Thank you to the kids in P4C class! It’s heartening to know that you can think for yourselves—now and into your adult future.