Philosophy Behind Bars: Growth and Development in Prison

✍ Scribed by Kirstine Szifris

• Publisher: Bristol University Press
• Year: 2021
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 266
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Long-term prisoners need to be given the space to reflect, and grow. This ground-breaking study found that engaging prisoners in philosophy education enabled them to think about some of the ‘big’ questions in life and as a result to see themselves and others differently. Using the prisoners’ own words, Szifris shows the importance of this type of education for growth and development. She demonstrates how the philosophical dialogue led to a form of community which provided a space for self-reflection, pro-social interaction and communal exploration of ideas, which could have long-term positive consequences.

✦ Table of Contents

Front cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
List of Boxes
Acknowledgements
Foreword
1. Philosophy, Identity and the ‘Ship of Theseus’
2. Towards Theory: People, Places and Voices
3. Survival, Plato and the Ideal Society
4. Kant, Bentham and the Question of Identity
5. ‘Why Do You Think That?’ Descartes, Hume and Knowledge
6. Not Just an Offender, But a Person
7. Trying to Find a Community of Philosophical Inquiry
8. Finding Trust and Developing Relationships
9. Personal Self-Exploration
10. Towards a Framework for Understanding Philosophy in Prison
11. Final Reflections
Appendix: Technical Methods
Bibliography
Index
Back cover