(article ) What is Education?

Educational theory and practice

The concept of education in everyday language: R.S. Peters revisited

The concept of “education” in everyday language: R.S. Peters revisited

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The concept of “education” in everyday language: R.S. Peters revisited The word “education” is so generally trivialised today that we stand to lose sight of the connection between more central meanings and our chances of living well. In the 1960s, Richard Peters analysed the idea of “education” to be found in our everyday language. Despite […]

The concept of “education” in everyday language: R.S. Peters revisited Read More »

The concept of “education” in everyday language: R.S. Peters revisited The word “education” is so generally trivialised today that we stand to lose sight of the connection between more central meanings and our chances of living well. In the 1960s, Richard Peters analysed the idea of “education” to be found in our everyday language. Despite

The Tyrant’s Choice: how narrow self-interest corrupts self-respect

Leave a Comment / Ethics and justification, Problems of living well, Respect /

The Tyrant’s Choice: how narrow self-interest corrupts self-respect Being a tyrant isn’t just bad for those who get in the tyrant’s way. It is bad for the tyrant. It corrupts their access to knowledge, and this educational insight goes back over 2000 years. It is a clue to the social value of self-respect, and shows

The Tyrant’s Choice: how narrow self-interest corrupts self-respect Read More »

The Tyrant’s Choice: how narrow self-interest corrupts self-respect Being a tyrant isn’t just bad for those who get in the tyrant’s way. It is bad for the tyrant. It corrupts their access to knowledge, and this educational insight goes back over 2000 years. It is a clue to the social value of self-respect, and shows

Indoctrination and education

An introduction to indoctrination

Leave a Comment / Ethics and justification, Indoctrination, Respect, What is education? /

An introduction to the idea of “indoctrination” “Indoctrination” was developed by philosophers of education as an educational concept twice in the Twentieth Century, and its development continues. It stands as the opposite of education as injustice stands to justice. To understand education and its problems – particularly what is at stake – we need to

An introduction to indoctrination Read More »

An introduction to the idea of “indoctrination” “Indoctrination” was developed by philosophers of education as an educational concept twice in the Twentieth Century, and its development continues. It stands as the opposite of education as injustice stands to justice. To understand education and its problems – particularly what is at stake – we need to

Chapter 3: The anatomy of respect

Leave a Comment / Chapters, EDUCATION - as if our lives depended on it, Ethics and justification, Part 1, Respect /

Chapter 3:The anatomy of respect The justifications that are offered for education are invariably too vague to stand as decision-making principles – or to hold individuals and institutions accountable. Expanding on the idea that education needs to be justified by the worth of the person forces us to remarkable conclusions This chapter explains the structure

Chapter 3: The anatomy of respect Read More »

Chapter 3:The anatomy of respect The justifications that are offered for education are invariably too vague to stand as decision-making principles – or to hold individuals and institutions accountable. Expanding on the idea that education needs to be justified by the worth of the person forces us to remarkable conclusions This chapter explains the structure

The practice of self-respect

Chapter 4: The practice of self-respect

Leave a Comment / Chapters, EDUCATION - as if our lives depended on it, Part 1, Respect /

Chapter 4: The practice of self-respect Our respect for ourselves needs to be expressed in our action – towards developing and living good lives. This is a difficult undertaking, and to do it, there is much to learn. This chapter on respect is concerned with how to respect ourselves through learning and growing, including the

Chapter 4: The practice of self-respect Read More »

Chapter 4: The practice of self-respect Our respect for ourselves needs to be expressed in our action – towards developing and living good lives. This is a difficult undertaking, and to do it, there is much to learn. This chapter on respect is concerned with how to respect ourselves through learning and growing, including the

Chapter 5: The Love model

Leave a Comment / Chapters, EDUCATION - as if our lives depended on it, Ethics and justification, Part 1, Respect /

Chapter 5: The “love” model Here is the “love” model; a way of thinking about ethical agreements. The model changes the usual assumptions of self-interest that lie behind negotiation and compromise, enabling an almost unlimited incorporation of interests. The “love model” is an alternative description of the “Golden Rule”, and we can use these to

Chapter 5: The Love model Read More »

Chapter 5: The “love” model Here is the “love” model; a way of thinking about ethical agreements. The model changes the usual assumptions of self-interest that lie behind negotiation and compromise, enabling an almost unlimited incorporation of interests. The “love model” is an alternative description of the “Golden Rule”, and we can use these to

Chapter 19: An educational constitution

Leave a Comment / Chapters, Democracy, EDUCATION - as if our lives depended on it, Ethics and justification, Part 4 /

Chapter 19: An educational constitution A sound, ethical justification of education would enable us to draw up an educational constitution protecting the development of the human mind from the beginning of development. This would establish a genuine right to an education worthy of the name, and be prior to any other constitution, establishing the conditions

Chapter 19: An educational constitution Read More »

Chapter 19: An educational constitution A sound, ethical justification of education would enable us to draw up an educational constitution protecting the development of the human mind from the beginning of development. This would establish a genuine right to an education worthy of the name, and be prior to any other constitution, establishing the conditions

A liberal education – Part II: why it needs replacing

Leave a Comment / Democracy, Educational theory and practice, Ethics and justification, History, Liberal Education, Problems of living well, Schooling /

A liberal education – exit stage right. Part II: why it needs to be replaced A liberal education has progressively been destroyed. The previous article explains why it won’t do any longer – but also the unacceptable price we pay for not having an education that fulfills several of the needs that a liberal education

A liberal education – Part II: why it needs replacing Read More »

A liberal education – exit stage right. Part II: why it needs to be replaced A liberal education has progressively been destroyed. The previous article explains why it won’t do any longer – but also the unacceptable price we pay for not having an education that fulfills several of the needs that a liberal education

The meaning of education

A liberal education – exit stage right. Part I: the attack

1 Comment / Democracy, Educational theory and practice, Enlightenment, Ethics and justification, History, Indoctrination, Liberal Education, Problems of living well, Schooling /

The liberal education tradition has been largely destroyed by neo-conservative assumptions. Identified with a range of academic disciplines, and pursued for its own sake, it has suffered from association with the life-style of the European aristocracy, the former leisured elite. Despite this, it had important functions in enabling a challenging of inherited beliefs and assumptions,

A liberal education – exit stage right. Part I: the attack Read More »

The liberal education tradition has been largely destroyed by neo-conservative assumptions. Identified with a range of academic disciplines, and pursued for its own sake, it has suffered from association with the life-style of the European aristocracy, the former leisured elite. Despite this, it had important functions in enabling a challenging of inherited beliefs and assumptions,

Wagon

Respect for persons – the justification for education

Leave a Comment / Educational theory and practice, Enlightenment, Ethics and justification, Problems of living well, Respect /

Western ethics, since the Enlightenment, has been remarkably silent about the idea of self-respect, or a duty to oneself. Some philosophers even doubt that there is such a thing. This might signal to us that the whole idea is simply mistaken. I think, however, that the gap here is another hold-over from the circumstances of

Respect for persons – the justification for education Read More »

Western ethics, since the Enlightenment, has been remarkably silent about the idea of self-respect, or a duty to oneself. Some philosophers even doubt that there is such a thing. This might signal to us that the whole idea is simply mistaken. I think, however, that the gap here is another hold-over from the circumstances of