It is surprising that there is a young academic in 2015 working intensively on the German philosopher and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767-1835) and his concept of "Bildung". In times where--as the author states herself--educational systems globally tend to follow neoliberal principles and where the visibility, commodification, and…

Speaking to the issue of spiritual development from her extensive experience as a youth work practitioner, the author notes several ideas she finds particularly compelling, among them that spiritual development interacts with, yet is distinct from, moral and religious development; that spiritual development is a core construct of identity…

The author presents a critique of twentieth-century behaviorism and humanism as educational theories. He argues that the techniques of both lead to unwarranted intervention in individual lives and ceaseless human engineering. (SK)

Liberal arts education is described as both flexible and durable since its formulation. Though current pressures tend to fragment the senses of self and knowledge, the liberal arts, it is suggested, can reaffirm the values of wholeness and excellence. (Author/MLW)

This paper examines how and why individuals with mental retardation were seen as a public menace between 1900 and 1920. Degenerationism is presented as a phenomenon that supports God's creation of humans in a civilized state, that explains human pathology as a medical/psychiatric degeneracy, and that characterizes degenerates as atavistic…

The importance that a study of the humanities plays in preparing educational administrators has been recognized by many, but remains an elusive concept. There are several reasons for including the humanities in administrator preparation programs: they provide time-tested examples of appropriate relationships, they deal with enduring concerns and…

Considers perestroika's implications for Soviet recognition of sources of human motivation. Critically examines how the collectivist ideology endemic to twentieth-century Russian history failed to consider human nature. Attributes Soviet economic problems to a disregard of the need for individual autonomy and dignity. Calls for a reconsideration…

The concept of excellence is explored in relation to various dimensions. Since the time of ancient Greece, there has been difficulty in defining "the Good," or the nature of human excellence. It is suggested that "the Good" of which excellence is an important part is a fundamental concept of the human personality, and that…

This book presents, in journal form, the teaching philosophy of Louis Schmier, a university history professor. Through a series of brief essays that were originally published as electronic mail on the Internet, he challenges teachers to reach out to their students. He suggests that unless the teacher values, respects, likes, and accepts himself,…