Necessity of Piety and Faith for the Philosophical Education of Children (with an Emphasis on the Qur an and the Words of the Imams and Infallibles)

If we consider the attainment of the truth as the purpose of education, we will face three basic questions: Is truth a discoverable entity? Is truth an attainable entity? Is truth a constructibleentity? Then a related question would be: How could we attain the truth? In the course of history various educational systems have suggested different ideas regarding the inclusion of philosophy and philosophizing in children’s education. The process of the philosophical education of children in Iran and in the world is moving forward and has both serious advocates and opponents. The lack of this process can result in the development of a society which is void of reflection, flexibility, and dynamism and paves the way for the growth of certain dogmatic trends such as ISIS, Salafism, and Takfir. On the other hand, if the basis of our philosophical education is not correct, it might result in the development of an isolated and skeptic society. Besides, it might even lead to a kind of pluralism without any perception of monotheism while denying some evident affairs and entities such as God. This study examines the importance of piety and faith in the philosophical education of children through relying on the Qur’an and the words of the Infallibles (a).