Philosophers on Education

Many major philosophical figures addressed educational issues and had a significant impact on the theory and practice of education, both in their own immediate contexts and in the longer term. Each time the course is offered, a selection will be made from the writings of two or three of these philosophers (e.g., Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Locke, Rousseau, Kant, Dewey). Particular attention will be given to anthropological and epistemological convictions and the implications of these for an understanding of learning and the conception of an educated person. Participants will be able to focus on the connections between the selected authors’ educational thought and their broader philosophical concerns or on the influence and implications of their writings for the current practice of education. They will be encouraged to discern insights and distortions in the light of a biblically informed view of the person as they develop further their own perspective on education.