This article questions some of the premises undergirding the discourse of self-study, particularly focusing on its treatment of 'self'. We examine the ontology, authority and ethics of self as they emerge from Oren's reading of self-study literature in light of his scholarship of and experience in contemplative education. Having focused on…

In this interview Craig Calhoun talks about universities, the Humanities and his own research. Universities reinvent themselves in the face of societal and technological change. In the midst of this change, however, universities are charged with maintaining old ideals, with informing the public and creating opportunities for human development. The…

In a recent thought-provoking piece, Peter Roberts argues against the central role of happiness as a guiding concept in education, and argues for more attention to be paid to despair. This does not mean cultivating despair in young people, but allowing them to make sense of their own natural occasional despair, as well as the despair of others. I…

Research shows that various pharmaceuticals can offer modest cognition enhancing effects for healthy individuals. These finding have caused some academics to support liberal use of pharmacological cognitive enhancement (PCE) in schools and universities. This approach partially arises from arguments implying there is little moral justification for…

The philosophy of the classical American pragmatism represents one of the basic challenges to the conception of self and reason in the history of philosophical and psychological thinking. As the founder of pragmatism, Peirce is well known for his attempt to overcome the Cartesian tradition of philosophy, which was founded on the paradigm of…

Discusses six common dilemmas in teaching which are influenced by the teacher's position on the relationship between self and knowledge. These dilemmas concern authority, grading, obligation to subject, the homogeneous class, the hypothetical perfect course, and unemployment. (Author/KC)

Interviews with adolescents revealed that they have a complex "divided metaphysics" of subjectivity, based on a dualistic view of reality versus appearance. Certain conceptual methodological issues surrounding research into self identity are discussed. (Author/DB)

The educational role of the artist is close to that of the dreamer in the sense that they are active collaborators in the extraordinary process through which instinct and bodily function are converted into image and fantasy. The development of an image can release powerful flows of intellectual energy. (JN)

The Enlightenment established and bequeathed to us the scientific attitude as the proper approach to acquiring knowledge, replacing the philosophical inquiry which characterized ancient scholarship. Consequently, modern students are the passive recipients of ready-made abstract forms--theories, concepts, definitions, methods, etc.--which, in the…

Examines some key characteristics of science under the headings of elimination of the personal, demarcation from ethics, and denial of reflexivity. Relates these characteristics to an instrumental criterion of knowing which is pervasive in science. Suggests that there are severe limits to the introduction of a more personal, interpretative, and…

Political liberalism purports to be independent from any controversial philosophical presuppositions, and its basic principles and features are often presented as the most accommodating of difference and heterogeneity, so long as the latter is not illiberal, oppressive and fanatic. Educational theory welcomes this assumption and attempts to…

People learn to learn as they develop their concept of knowledge. The heart of the learning process is self-awareness, self-monitoring, and active reflection. Teaching and learning should be an interactive process, which should involve both learning and learning how to learn. (SK)

The reading of a literary work can give rise to five different kinds of literary knowing: (1) knowing about self; (2) knowing about others; (3) knowing about texts; (4) knowing about contexts; and (5) knowing about processes of making meaning. A literary work can prompt a reader to reflect upon aspects of his or her own life. Concentrating upon…

Responds to the article "Why People in the Past Acted as They Did: An Exploratory Study in Historical Empathy" focusing on three particular issues: (1) the relationship between empathy and history; (2) the extent to which reflexivity unites with empathy; and (3) the question of how empathy operates practically in the history classroom. (CMK)

Discusses two related problems generated by Piaget's psychology of decentered knowing. Subjectivity, consciousness, and self-consciousness are ruled out; the dynamic transformation of society through history is reduced to triviality. (Author/DB)