Philosophy of Education

EDPH2016/ED20P: Second Semester 2004/5

Aims

The phrase ‘philosophy of …’ is used where the intention is to provide explicit and systematic accounts of the fundamental ideas and approaches used in a particular discipline, and to construct philosophically illuminating analyses or explications of central theoretical concepts invoked in that field. In philosophy of education, one also attempts to examine the various ways in which philosophical assumptions appear in, affect, and illuminate education.

Objectives

In this course, the objective is to introduce students to some notions that are relevant to educational concerns. An important aspect of the course is to encourage students to apply the course content to their own educational settings and issues.

Content

Education, and its philosophy, embraces a vast amount so we have to be highly selective in the choice of issues. 

We will be taking a two-pronged approach.  After some introductory scene-setting, I will use some sessions to talk about issues and conceptual problems concerning education, teaching/learning, intelligence, imagination, emotion, equality of educational opportunities, moral education, etc.

At the same time, there will be sessions for which you will be doing most of the work and which will involve consideration of some aspects of what various important thinkers have had to say about educational matters.   For this purpose, we will be using the anthology edited by A.O. Rorty, Philosophers on Education: new historical perspectives.  I want you to break up into 10 groups (so most groups should contain 3 people) that will work on specific essays in Rorty's collection, going beyond these texts where necessary to provide us with a broader perspective on the individuals dealt with.  This project work will constitute your coursework assignment, which is worth 40% of your final assessment.

Weekly Teaching Times

We have three sessions: Mondays 6-7 p.m. in LR03; Wednesday 5-6 p.m. in LR10; and Friday 6-7 p.m. in LR03.  Project reports will be allocated to a week; which day we use will depend on how our other discussions proceed.

Method of Assessment

Course work (40%) consists of the Project reports mentioned already.

The examination (May 4 at 4 p.m.) contributes 60%.  

Reserved Texts

Hamm, C. Philosophical Issues in Education (Falmer Press, 1989)

Rorty, A.O. Philosophers on Education: new historical perspectives (Routledge, 1998)

Winch, C. The Philosophy of Human Learning (Routledge, 1998)

Website

Links

Contact

You can contact me by email to ebrandon@uwichill.edu.bb. On campus I may be reached at 417 4023; messages can be left at 417 4021. In an emergency, you may reach me by phone at 424 8461.