This article delineates a Confucian approach to a democratic classroom by drawing upon the educational thought of third-century philosopher Xunzi. It is argued that Xunzi's approach is generally compatible with the three salient features of a democratic classroom: (i) it is a way of life guided by the principles of equality, freedom, justice, and…

In the post-Darwinian approach, the 'blank slate' is synonymous with the modern denial of human nature. This article is a call for the restoration of the first layer in the portrait of the blank slate through Quentin Skinner's contextual-intentionality method to challenge this approach. Rather than denying human nature, John Locke shifted the…

This article proposes "anti-currere" as a non-philosophical intervention in curriculum theory, drawing on the work of François Laruelle to challenge the field's foundational obsession with the Real. It argues that curriculum study, despite its surface diversity, remains structurally wedded to a philosophical decision that monopolizes…

This essay analyzes Pierre Hadot's reading of Aristotelian "theoria" in order to evaluate "theoria's" relevancy for the contemporary field of Contemplative Education. It emphasizes the limited engagement with "theoria" against a backdrop of heightened attention to mindfulness-based practices. The essay critiques the…

Science education researchers suggest teaching activities that are based on students' experience. Since anything and everything that happens in one's life can be called "experience" however, it is important to pause and ask what kinds of experiences promote science education. In this paper, we will turn to two philosophers that are…

This article continues the efforts of Gert Biesta and Jim Hordern to address the nature and organisation of educational studies as highlighted in a recent special issue titled 'Educational studies today and for the future: threats, hopes, and collaborations' in "BJES" (Volume 7, No. 5, 2023). The aim is to articulate a distinctive voice…

A key question in the field of educational theory is the question of what is 'educational' in education. Responses to this question in the field are often connected to some type of change that is to take place in the child: children are socialised, they become subjects, or learn. I argue that this way of understanding what is educational in…

In this paper, I address Biesta's notion of world-centred education via a special focus on the school as a site of teacherly gestures. To begin with, I interpret 'world-centredness' -- qua that which goes 'beyond learning' -- through a deployment of tenets from Arendt and her appropriation of Marx's and Heidegger's motifs. Within this horizon, I…

Paulo Freire's legacy remains a cornerstone of our liberating practice, where educating is synonymous with liberation. In this investigation, we emphasize Freire's contributions to teacher education in the 21st century as inspirations for (re)finding humanization. We employ a transmethodical, decolonial, and complex research approach, utilizing…

This study aims to contribute to the ongoing scholarly conversation about education through the lenses of the German philosophy of "Bildung" and the American philosophy of pragmatism. More concretely, in this article, the two philosophies are represented by the traditions of critical-constructive "Didaktik," based on Wolfgang…

This paper introduces the concept of polyphonic relational epistemology, an extension of relational epistemology that emphasizes knowledge as a dialogic and multivocal process. Drawing on Mikhail Bakhtin's theory of polyphony, the paper argues that the act of knowing emerges from the interaction of multiple, irreducible voices. This approach…

This text presents a comprehensive overview of the author's experiences and contributions to PESA, as well as the themes and concerns that have shaped their academic work. The lecture series, named in the author's honour, aims to foster new thinking among emerging scholars. The author's intellectual journey has been deeply influenced by the…

In this paper I provide a critique of what I refer to as 'perspectival reason', which is the idea that the fundamental setup of human beings in relation to the world is in terms of individuals having perspectives on the world. I argue that the idea of the world as something to view and have a perspective on is not a neutral, trans-historical…

This article draws on inspirations from Pierre Bourdieu, Niklas Luhmann, and Hans-Georg Gadamer to think about the future of our profession in light of the notions of social spaces, social systems, and a history of effect. I connect the thinking about this future to how it may be influenced by our reasons for being here, how we operate while we…

While education is often tasked with educating students for a somewhat infinite number of futures, it is perhaps possible to say that no matter what the future is, people will continue to live with and care for one another in some capacity. To be attentive to this future is not to educate for a specific, fully developed and already decided upon…