In this essay, Robbie McClintock argues that educational theorists have inflated John Dewey's deserved reputation beyond what the quality of his work can sustain. He briefly recounts how Dewey developed a program for reconstruction in philosophy, education, and social life with the aim of overcoming chronic dislocations in social life. McClintock…

One of the mantras of progressive education is that genuine learning ought to be exciting and pleasurable, rather than joyless and painful. To a significant extent, Jean-Jacques Rousseau is associated with this mantra. In a theme of "Emile" that is often neglected in the educational literature, however, Rousseau stated that "to suffer is the first…

Presents a translation of an interview with author Jacques Derrida conducted by Francois Ewald. The interview examines Derrida's philosophy; discusses several of his works; and describes how he works, looking at the relationship of deconstruction to his work. (SM)

Investigates the influence of intellectual and political concerns in James Banks' account of multiculturalism, examining his embrace of and hesitations regarding postmodernism, and suggesting that the reasons for this hesitation lie in the tensions between his civic and moral commitments and the radical and skeptical implications of postmodernist…

In this essay, Paul Smeyers and Nicholas Burbules reexamine the concept of "practice" and propose a new way of conceiving it that does justice to the idea that education is in some sense an initiation into practices without endorsing either the conservative and reproductive conception of what initiation entails or the radically social…

An article by Harvey Siegal, "Kuhn and Critical Thought," is criticized. (JD)

Questions about the philosophy of education, such as its relationship to the discipline of philosophy, to educational policy and practice, and to the concerns of society are addressed. The essay distinguishes between three contexts in which philosophical thinking about education takes place; the intellectual, institutional, and ideological…

A fundamental change in Americans' devotion to competition and/or cooperation is unlikely. The article suggests ways to identify and eliminate unhealthy forms of competition and describes various political philosophies which foster alternative socialization processes. (JL)