Leaders in Philosophy of Education

Book excerpt: Since the 1960s we have witnessed the development of philosophy of education as a vital intellectual field. Beginning with the work of Israel Scheffler at Harvard, and spreading rapidly to the United Kingdom under the influence of R.S. Peters and Paul Hirst at the London Institute of Education, analytical philosophers of education worked toward a new understanding of such central educational concepts as teaching, learning, explanation, curriculum, aims and objectives, freedom and authority, equality and liberal education. They also examined theoretical issues in educational research and critiqued reigning ideas in educational psychology. By the 1970s interest in the analysis of educational concepts and research methods had waned. A new generation of philosophers of education turned to new issues, including: intellectual and practical virtues, individual well-being, the education of girls and women, the ethics of care, creative thinking and imagination, multicultural education, globalization and many others. In this book, 24 leading philosophers of education since 1970 who remain influential today present the fascinating stories of their lives and important new contributions to the field. They trace their early experiences, initial encounters with philosophy and philosophy of education, creative directions in their work, mature ideas, and perceptions of future directions for the field. Each chapter contains a list of works chosen by the authors as their personal favorites.