Philosophy,philosophy of education,and economic realities

Abstract

In 2009 Harvey Siegel edited The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Education. This article develops a theme, prompted by reflection on several essays in that volume, about the nature of philosophy of education and its relation to philosophy. Siegel’s view that philosophy of education is a branch of philosophy is put to the test, largely via a comparison between philosophy of education and aesthetics. At the other end of the spectrum, Philip Kitcher, another contributor, is attracted to Dewey’s view that philosophy is ‘the general theory of education’. Like Kitcher’s piece, this article does not see philosophy of education as a specialism within philosophy. It warms to Martha Nussbaum’s and Randall Curren’s more practically orientated pieces, as well as to Kitcher’s disturbing analysis of the shift of capital towards East Asia, and the poor prospects many countries have for a humane, democratic society and education system, as their efforts are directed towards economic survival. The last section takes up Kitcher’s suggestion that philosophy of education should bend its efforts to seeing what might be done to raise those prospects.