Owl and the Moon
Author: Arnold Lobel
Publisher: HarperCollins
Owl and the Moon, the last of five stories in Arnold Lobel's Owl at Home, serves as an excellent starting point for philosophical discussion about friendship, knowledge, and truth with elementary students. In this story, the moon follows Owl home. He tells the moon to go home, but when the moon goes behind a cloud, he is sad and wants the moon to come back.
The topic of friendship is very pertinent to the lives of children and one that philosophers have debated for a long time. "How might 'friendship' be looked at from a philosophical perspective?", you may ask. Questions such as, "What is the nature of frienship?"; "What are the rules of friendship?"; and "What constitues a friend?", are all philosophical questions. Can colleagues be friends - online strangers, parents, even the moon?
Aristotle wrote about the different kinds of friendship--Friendships of Utility; Friendships of Pleasure; and Friendships of Virtue. Not all philosophers, however, believe in this model. Kant, for example, believes that people do not seek friendship simply for friendship's sake; but rather, to serve a greater purpose and to satisfy some selfish need. Frienships are not possible from Kant's perspective. Discussion of the terms of friendships is an excellent way to segue into a discussion about the different kinds of friendship. Wondering about terms of frienship will get kids thinking about what, if anything, we owe our friends. This book deals especially with reciprocity in friendship because a living (personified) animal wants to be friends with an inanimate thing. In discussion, children will need to think about whether or not every friendship has the same terms, or if the terms change for different kinds of friendships.
Another topic that Owl and the Moon addresses is the question of how we know what we know and what makes something true. Owl says, "If I am looking at you, moon, then you must be looking back at me." Kant argued that "[k]nowledge is an objective interpretation of reality, but it is not reality itself". This aspect of the story may spark an interesting discussion about Owl's perceptions. How does Owl know that the moon can really see him? Can the moon see Owl in reality, or is it just Owl's interpretation? Although Owl believes that the moon is indeed looking back at him, some would argue that it might not be the case in reality. This also raises the issue of truth and what makes something true. Some would argue that something is true because you believe it is true. Others would say that only a theory that is provable through science can be deemed true.
In summary, the friendship between Owl and the moon, as described in Arnold Lobel's story, can be an excellent place to start discussion with your students about some of these philosophical questions regarding the terms and types of friendship, as well as knowledge and truth.
Questions for Philosophical Discussion:
The nature of friendship:
The moon is very far away from Owl. He can see the light of the moon shining down on him, but he can't touch it.
- Can the moon be your friend?
- Do you think that the moon thinks Owl is his friend?
- Can you still be friends with someone or something if they do not think that you are friends?
- Can you be friends with someone or something that you can't touch?
- What kinds of things can be your friends?
- Think about your own friends - what makes them a good friend?
- How do you know that they are your friend?
- Should we expect things from our friends? If so, what kinds of things?
- Why do we have friends?
- Do we make friends on purpose, or by accident?
Owl keeps telling the moon that it must go away because he is going home. When the moon does go away, he is sad.
- Have you ever said goodbye to a friend? If so, how did you feel?
- Can someone be your friend when s/he is gone?
- If they are gone, how do you know that they are still your friend?
The different kinds of friendships:
- Do you think that there are different kinds of friends?
- Think about your own friends. Are your relationships with each one different in some way? How?
- What kind of friendship do Owl and the moon have?
Knowledge and truth:
Owl believes that the moon is looking back at him because he is looking at the moon.
- Do you think the moon can look back at Owl? Why or why not?
- How does Owl "know" that the moon is looking back?
- Does Owl's belief that the moon is looking at him make it true?
- Is a belief the same as knowledge?
- What makes something true?
- Can something be true because you believe that it is true?
- Can something be true if there is no proof of it?
- How would we find out if the moon is Owl's friend?
Link zum downloaden:
http://www.ziddu.com/download/20161105/OWL_AT_HOME.rar.html
