Philosophizing means asking questions with no definitive answers. Why do we live? What is justice? Does the soul exist? These questions sound differently at different ages. A child's "why is the grass green?" is already philosophy. Youthful maximalism, mature reflection, old age wisdom. With age, not only the face changes, but also the way of thinking. We tell you how philosophizing is connected with age and why it is useful at any age. Childhood: the era of endless "why?" Between 3-5 years old, a child asks about 300 questions a day. "Why is the sky blue?", "Where does the sun go at night?", "Am I going to die?". This is naive philosophy. The child's mind seeks causal relationships, but is not satisfied with simple answers. It wants to get to the essence. Between 7-10 years old, questions about justice arise. "Why do we not have money in our class, but Vasy does?", "Why does the teacher give me a failing grade if I tried hard?". The child is mastering moral categories. Between 12-14, questions about the meaning of life, the freedom of choice. Teenagers love to argue until they are blue in the face, sometimes looking naive. This is normal. They are building their own system of values. Childhood philosophizing is valuable for its sincerity. Adults often dismiss: "You'll understand when you grow up". But the child needs not answers, but dialogue. Encourage questions. Read philosophical fairy tales together ("The Little Boy and the Nightingale", "The Little Prince"). Do not laugh. Youths: rebellion and self-discovery Between 16-20 years old, philosophizing is a protest against adults, against the system. Young men and women are fascinated by existentialism (Camus, Sartre, Nietzsche). "Life is absurd", "There is no God", "Freedom is a choice". This is a period of maximalism: all or nothing, black or white. Young philosophers gather in clubs, write poetry, organize debates. Often they seem amusing to older people. But this stage is important for personality formation. ... Read more