Philosophy of Education

PHIL 240/3.0

Vintage Photo in black and white of a Classroom And Teacher

Overview

This course introduces students to several key issues in the philosophy of education, including the nature and aims of the learning process, the debate between educational progressives and conservatives, the relation of education to experience, educational dialogue, technology, and the politics of education. It introduces students to the philosophy of education through an examination of a few major twentieth-century texts as well as several recent essays. We shall be studying the educational theories of John Dewey, Paulo Freire, Ivan Illich, and Hans-Georg Gadamer, with the larger aim of shedding light on the practices of teaching and learning and our own experience of the same. What, in the final analysis, is the point of education in an institutional setting, and what accounts for the value that human beings have long placed on it?

Learning Outcomes

Topics

  • Conservatism and Progessivism
  • Critical Pedagogy
  • Education Without Schooling
  • Education, Dialogue and Hermeneutics

Testimonials

"Originally, I thought it would be more beneficial to take classes in person, but after going through the course material it was actually better that the format was online. The readings were not too difficult and the course notes are comprehensive. In addition, the discussion forums really helped me keep on top of school work."
- Course evaluation, PHIL 240: Philosophy of Education (2014)

 

Additional Information