Bücher der Reihe SpringerBriefs on Key Thinkers in Education

This new addition to Springer's series on Key Thinkers in World Education tracks the intellectual and philosophical journey of a trail-blazing innovator whose ideas have fired the imaginations of progressive educationalists for almost a century.

This book provides an accessible way into the ideas of Basil Bernstein. It introduces, explains and exemplifies key conceptual landmarks in the development of his theory, from his sociolinguistics in the 1960s through analyses of classrooms and the construction of curriculum in the 1970s and 1980s, to studies of intellectual fields of research through the 1990s. The book introduces how these ideas can and have been used in empirical research over the past fifty years, and how they are being built on by scholars in the twenty-first century to create a cumulative approach to understanding education, knowledge and society that is alive and growing today. ¿

This open access book employs Paul Ricoeur's methodologies to identify, challenge, and replace with responsible language the many continuing abuses of power, including in the university curriculum and in the international discourse of right-wing populism. Using Ricoeur¿s philosophy, the book provides a meta-frame for current debates about the university and a pragmatic micro-frame for supporting staff and students to develop important conversations on campus. It introduces the Community of Inquiry approach and describes its use to engage with complex ideas on which society has recently become silent. By contrasting Ricoeur¿s work on Algeria and his work in Chicago, USA, .a bias blind spot is revealed in his desire for dialectical balance and reciprocity. This prevented him (and for some years the author) from accepting the connections between colonialism, slavery and racism and the urgent need for reparative justice. With Ricoeur, the readers can think differently: howto recognize and tackle racism and the democratic deficit, how to reduce epistemic injustice by learning how to speak out, how to move away from forced polarities and develop a pedagogy of hope as well as an acceptance of provisionality and the intractability of certain existential problems.

This book explores the contribution to education contained in the theoretical work and teaching practice of Matthew Lipman (1923-2010) and Ann Margaret Sharp (1942-2010). Their long-lasting cooperation gave rise to the well-known ¿Philosophy for Children¿ (P4C) curriculum, which is nowadays globally widespread. P4C basically relies on the following innovations: firstly, the unprecedented connection between philosophy and childhood; secondly, the reframing of philosophy in practical, viz., not reductively theoretical terms; thirdly, the employment of philosophy to foster democracy and moral capabilities through the development of children¿s thoughtfulness and autonomous thinking, which would eventually result in empowering children¿s social abilities and increasing their self-defence against consumerism, propaganda, and manipulation; finally, the stand against a strictly cognitivist approach to education. More than just contextualizing these innovations in the coeval historical and social context, the author shows that P4C¿s revolutionary stance on education relies on the fruitfulness of Lipman and Sharp¿s intellectual cooperation and on their manifold abilities as researchers, teachers, trainers, communicators, motivators, and community-builders. The book analyzes their philosophical-educational vision and the scholastic curriculum they developed jointly; additionally, it provides a critical appraisal of P4C¿s achievements as well as of its future perspectives.

Isocrates is one of the most remarkable and influential figures in the history of human thought. The influence of his ideas in the history of historical writing, rhetoric, the visual arts, music, religion and theology, political science, philosophy and, above all, educational philosophy and practice in Europe, Australia, North America, North Africa, and the Middle East are well established and widely known.This book argues careful study of the educational philosophy of Isocrates and its legacy can contribute to an improved understanding of the historiography of educational thought, his distinctive normative methodology in both political and educational philosophy, and his arguments about the primary importance of the virtues of self-knowledge and realistic self-appraisal for educational philosophers and practitioners.At a time when educational philosophy has an increasingly precarious academic existence and educationists are actively seeking new historiographical and methodological approaches to the philosophical study of education, there is much to be gained by recovering and reevaluating the historiography and normative methodology of Isocrates and the role they play in educational discourse and practice today. 

This book is a philosophical enquiry into the educational consequences of SpinozaΓÇÖs political theory. SpinozaΓÇÖs political theory is of particular interest for educational thought as it brings together the normative aims of his ethical theory with his realistic depiction of human psychology and the ramifications of this for successful political governance. As such, this book aims to introduce the reader to SpinozaΓÇÖs original vision of civic education, as a project that ultimately aims at the ethical flourishing of individuals, while being carefully tailored and adjusted to the natural limitations of human reason. Readers will benefit from a succinct introduction to SpinozaΓÇÖs political philosophy and from an account of civic education that is based on careful exegetical work. It draws conclusions only hinted at in SpinozaΓÇÖs own writings.

This Springer brief explores the contribution of Nicolas de Condorcet in French higher education, the historical development of his work and its influence on the history of the French education system.Condorcet's educational proposals were first devised as five Memoires, which were consolidated into the ¿Rapport et Projet de Decret sur l'Organisation Generale de l'Instruction Publique¿. This report has sparked debate on the subject of education in the past and lives on as a basis for ongoing iterations of plans for education by other writers.In developing these ideas and especially how they apply to higher education, this book bridges the gap between the 18th century French Enlightenment shift and the Revolution of higher education, with the advent of the Grandes Écoles such as École Normale Supérieure, École Polytechnique and Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers. Each of these schools was represented by a specific institutionalizededucational idea rooted in the works of the philosopher.This book offers insights to a wider audience in the educational thought of Condorcet, which at the time of his writing was overshadowed by Rousseau, and shows how his ideas of liberty and equality flourish in the French educational system and remain an important part in today's French academic, cultural and political culture.

The book presents the multi-faceted opus of Danilo Dolci within the framework of Environmental Education, focusing on his work as a grassroots community educator, nonviolent activist and poet.

Italian critical theorist Giorgio Agamben may be best known for his political writings concerning the curtailing of privacy rights in the wake of 9/11 and the status of prisoners of war and refugees. Yet, casting him primarily as a political theorist is misleading given his significant contributions to the fields of linguistics, literary theory, philosophy, aesthetics, and religious studies. This book provides the first ever comprehensive introduction to Agamben's work as it pertains to the field of education. Written in a clear and accessible style, Giorgio Agamben: Education without Ends is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in thinking education beyond its current standardized forms.The first part of the book creates a context by highlighting formative experiences in Agamben's biography that reflect a particular idea of education on the threshold between life and work. The second part introduces the notions of infancy, study, community, and happiness, and discusses their relevance with regard to key issues in educational theory and practice. The third part shows how conceptual constellations based on Agamben's work can inspire studious practices within the spatial, temporal, and curricular infrastructure of educational institutions as they exist today.

Despite Alasdair MacIntyre being known as an academic who has made many notable contributions to a range of areas in philosophy, his thinking on education is not as well-known and/or properly understood by most audiences and readerships that predominantly reside in educational contexts.

Educational themes in Marx's thinking are identified: the role of education within capitalist society, the contribution of education to human development and the character of education in a future society.

This book sets out to explore the challenge to education contained in Heidegger's work. Although he did not develop a systematic philosophy of education, his philosophical insights and occasional remarks about education make him an interesting and troubling figure for education.

This book explores specific aspects of Martin Luther's ideas on education in general, and on religious education in particular, by comparing them to the views of other great sixteenth-century reformers: Huldrych Zwingli, John Calvin, and Philip Melanchthon.

This volume introduces the psychoanalyst Melanie Klein to the general field of education and traces her theories of mental life as an emotional situation, through to problems of self/other relations in our own time.

This book offers a succinct guide to Friedrich Nietzsche's contributions to educational thought, placing them within the context of his overall philosophy and adding biographical background information that sheds light on his thinking.

This book considers Foucault as educator in three main ways. That is, education as a form of what Allen (2014) calls benign violence - which operates through mundane, quotidian disciplinary technologies and expert knowledges which together construct a 'pedagogical machine'.

Leavis (1895-1978), the greatest English literary critic of the twentieth century, providing the first in-depth examination of Leavis's ideas in relation to contemporary mass higher education.

Zizek demands we take a long, hard look at the painful reality of education in contemporary capitalist society, and to actively seek out its 'trouble in paradise': Why is it education is supposedly failing to meet the demands of our society?

How can we understand what a transdisciplinary (TD) approach might actually comprise of, given its complex and various uses?

Chapter 1. Arendt as public educator: an introduction to her life and work.- Chapter 2. Natality, promise and plurality: education in and for the world.- Chapter 3. Thinking, judgement and action: education for human agency.- Chapter 4. Equality, freedom and the public sphere: towards an educated citizenry.- Chapter 5. Education and intellectual friendship: mutual flourishing.

This is the first-ever book to offer an analytical study of John Holt¿s philosophy of education. It provides a clear analysis and critical evaluation of the key themes in his work, considers the main objections to his views, and discusses their relation to the contemporary homeschooling movement. The book examines Holt¿s critique of compulsory education and his account of the relationships between learning, freedom, intelligence and character. It argues that Holt¿s works contain a philosophically rich critique of instrumentalism in education, and thus continue to represent a significant challenge to many mainstream views on education today. Given its scope, the book will be of interest to anyone who wants to understand Holt¿s work and influence as a critic of compulsory schooling; educators and education students; philosophers of education; and those seeking a better grasp of the ideas behind unschooling and homeschooling.

This book presents John Dewey¿s work as a claim to the human potentials found in experience, the imagination and the possibilities that emerge from our disposition towards liberty. It details Dewey¿s work as a critical junction marked by the quandary of schooling and culture, and where learning is also positioned beyond the boundaries of educational institutions. The book first examines Dewey in his various contexts, influences and life experiences, including his relationship with Hegelian philosophy, Emersonian transcendentalism, Darwin¿s method of scientific experimentation, and his deep bond with his first wife Alice Chipman and their work in the Laboratory School. It then revisits Dewey¿s approach to politics and education within contemporary debates on education, learning and the School. This discussion takes stock of what does a diverse and plural society mean to us today, at a time that remains challenged by the politics of class, race, gender and sexuality. Dewey¿s work has a profound bearing on our understanding of these challenges. Thus to read and talk Dewey is to engage with a conversation with Dewey the philosopher who poses an array of questions, ranging from the way we feel (aesthetics), behave (ethics), think (logic), live as a community (politics) and how we learn (education). In addition, the book also takes Dewey¿s concept of experimentation into a discussion of unlearning and deschooling through the arts and aesthetics education. Offering a thought-provoking dialogue with Dewey¿s philosophy, this book recognizes the contradictory nature of learning and extends it to the open horizons of experience. By way of discussing the various aspects of Dewey¿s approach to organization, policy making and the relationship between education and business, it repositions Dewey in contemporary political and educational contexts, exploring the possibility for education to be free and yet rigorous enough to help us engage with forms ofknowledge by which we negotiate and understand the world.

This book presents a brief introduction to Jerome Bruner's educational ideas and details their influences on our educational discourse and practice. It examines Bruner's ideas in the context of some key educational issues in the United States since the early twentieth century.

The struggle for social equality is considered with a focus on the impact of exclusion from education that demonstrates the need for a dream that gives hope to current and future generations that suggests that education can be accessed and lead to academic success.

This book covers Rudolf Steiner's biography, presented from an educational point of view and also unfolds the different aspects of Steiner's educational thought in Waldorf Education. Steiner was in many ways ahead of his time and his educational ideas are still relevant to many present day educational issues and problems.