Education after Foucault: The Question of Civility

Abstract

It is commonly believed that mass public education is fundamentally concerned with the advancement of Western civilization and national strength through the dissemination of knowledge and skills. The ways that we think about and conduct educational practices are also related in no small way to basic rights such as individual freedom. Individual rights in the West are themselves grounded in beliefs about human nature, rationality, and behavior. This philosophical work identifies and critiques these beliefs as they were developed and established during the formative period of individual rights. It explores how these beliefs are embedded in educational practices, using some of Michel Foucault's ideas to provide a contemporary critical context. An alternative interpretation of these foundations is offered that challenges basic ideas about the purposes of education. A direction is provided for further work.