4-year-olds to be taught philosophy in France...

France is to start teaching philosophy to younger pupils, in some cases as young as four, provoking a row over whether the discipline is being dumbed down.

The country has long idealised its philosophers, who, from Descartes to Derrida, have heavily influence Western thought for centuries. Its modern media philosophers have superstar status, from the open-shirted Bernard-Henri Levy to Raphael Enthoven, the TV philosopher and ex-boyfriend of Carla Bruni-Sarkozy and father of her son.

France is seeing a boom in all things philosophical, from cafe debates to festivals, corporate seminars and even cartoon strips on the subject. More...

Don't miss:

1. UNESCO wants to teach masturbation ... to five-year-olds!!!
2. Why do Finland's schools get the best results?
3. This is how you conduct an orchestra, maestro!
4. Are we raising a generation of nincompoops?
5. What's wrong with our food system? An 11-year-old's point of view...