Zahhak: A Tale of Seven Narrators Through the Labyrinth of Rewriting, Image-Text Interaction, and the Community of Philosophical Inquiry

Hesampour, Saeed; Moradpour, Neda

doi:10.22099/jcls.2025.52196.2081

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Saeed Hesampour ¹
Neda Moradpour ²

¹ Prof in Persian Language and Literature of Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

² PHD Student in Persian Language and Literature of Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22099/jcls.2025.52196.2081

Abstract

Philosophy for Children (P4C) program has undergone significant transformations in its concepts, structure, and objectives. One of the most pivotal of these shifts is the movement from humanism toward posthumanism. This paradigm shift has also brought about changes in the sources and narratives used in communities of inquiry. Whereas Lipman and his colleagues authored philosophical novels that echoed the history and challenges of Western philosophy, the second and third generations of P4C have drawn upon picturebooks, high-quality children’s literature, and more culturally localized texts. As the texts have changed, so too have the criteria for selecting appropriate books for philosophical inquiry. Haynes and Murris (2012), adopting a novel approach, have turned to children's literature and picturebooks and proposed new criteria that encompass both aesthetic aspects and epistemological, ethical, and political considerations.

Method, Review of Literature, Purpose
This study aims to investigate the potential of Zahhak: A Tale of Seven Narrators by Atousa Salehi for use in the community of philosophical inquiry with children. The methodology is qualitative, and data were collected and analyzed through deductive content analysis. The theoretical framework is based on the evaluative criteria proposed by Haynes and Murris. In the background section, the study draws upon Lipman’s criteria for selecting philosophical stories for children, Matthews’s attention to philosophical fiction in children's literature, and Wartenberg’s focus on picturebooks. Nevertheless, the primary emphasis is placed on Haynes and Murris’s triadic criteria, which include aesthetic, epistemological, and ethical-political dimensions, all aiming to identify texts capable of evoking reflection and philosophical questioning.

Keywords

Main Subjects

children's Literature Studies

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Journal of Children's Literature Studies

Zahhak: A Tale of Seven Narrators Through the Labyrinth of Rewriting, Image-Text Interaction, and the Community of Philosophical Inquiry

References

References

Volume 16, Issue 2 - Serial Number 32
December 2025
Pages 1-22

Zahhak: A Tale of Seven Narrators Through the Labyrinth of Rewriting, Image-Text Interaction, and the Community of Philosophical Inquiry

References

References

Volume 16, Issue 2 - Serial Number 32December 2025Pages 1-22

Volume 16, Issue 2 - Serial Number 32
December 2025
Pages 1-22