Front Learning Research, 2017

Co-Edited by Guillemette Johnston and Allan Johnston, this online journal put out by the Society for the Philosophical Study of Education (SPSE) aims to publish papers that approach the field of education from a philosophical perspective, in the broadest sense of the term. Some of the papers considered for publication may be selected from works presented at the annual meeting of the Society for the Philosophical Study of Education by members of that organization, after these papers undergo peer review and revision. However, this journal does not limit its content to works pertaining to the annual conference; it strongly invites outside submissions from any interested party, providing that such submissions fit the guidelines of the journal. This volume includes works by Professor Babette Babich of Fordham University, editor of New Nietzsche Studies and author of several books on Nietzsche and other topics, and Professor Eduardo Duarte of Hofstra University, whose scholarly publications include studies of Hannah Arendt and Heidegger, among others. Papers on Nietzsche, Heidegger, Rousseau, Kieran Egan, and Gary Snyder, among other topics, are featured. JPSE will consider papers, book reviews, interviews, and other documents with emphases in history, psychology, religion, pedagogy, and other areas if they portend to the general ideal of philosophical speculation on the meaning, purpose, and/or nature of education. To encourage diffusion, we are posting abstracts of the contributions. Contact the editors at gjohnsto@depaul.edu, ajohnst2@depaul.edu, and/or ajohnston@colum.edu

Theory and Research in Education, 2012

This article should be read as prolegomena to the development of a Theory of Education. In it I argue that the term " educational theory " is multiply ambiguous as it may refer to a theory of schooling (which is a non-starter), to a theory of education (which is general and philosophical in nature), or to theories in education (which are specific and empirical). The article points out the logical primacy of a theory of education in the context of which we ought to develop specific theories in education. It emphasizes the importance of a clear and defensible concept of education for educational theory and practice and argues against the view that education is some kind of activity or process. Cet article présente les prolégomènes à une théorie de l'éducation. L'auteur soutient que l'expression " théorie educative " est ambiguë à plus d'un titre, car elle peut être comprise dans le sens d'une théorie de la scolarisation (qui normalement doit venir après une théorie plus générale), ou d'une théorie de l'éducation (qui est de nature générale et philosophique), ou de théories sur l'éducation (qui sont plus circonscrites et empiriques). Dans cet article, l'auteur met en évidence la primauté logique d'une théorie de l'éducation dans le contexte de laquelle devraient s'édifier des théories précises sur l'éducation. Il souligne en outre l'importance d'un concept clair et justifiable de l'éducation pour une théorie et une pratique éducatives, et s'oppose à l'idée que l'éducation est une sorte d'activité ou de processus. Few educational debates are characterized by as much confusion and theoretical barrenness as the one on the nature and function of educational theory. Despite repeated criticisms, the prevailing view among most educationists is largely an architectonic one. Just as architecture (or medicine, or engineering) draws on several disciplines to solve problems related to human habitat, educational theory draws on the disciplines of psychology, philosophy, sociology, history, inter alia, to deal with problems concerning the education of human beings. What is never made clear, however, is the place of each of these " foundation disciplines " within the theory; the constraints imposed on these disciplines by the nature of the enterprise; the relationship among the disciplines; and the character of the resultant educational theory. This article deals with these questions and sketches an alternative to the prevailing view. The intention here is not to deal with these questions in detail — that would require book-length treatment — but to provide the general framework for their answer.

Exploring self toward expanding teaching, teacher education and practitioner research, 2020

This chapter from the co-edited book "Exploring self toward expanding teaching, teacher education and practitioner research" brings the ancient dichotomy between vita activa and vita contemplativa-a traditional separation between lay life and religious life-to the realm of different states of mind that form the experience of self in contemporary times. Instead of seeing the above dichotomy necessarily within the secular-religious spectrum, I explore it as two pulls within self and, in particular, within a teacher's life. One pull concerns the gravity of day-today that William James described as a habitual, half-awake state, very much shaped by external conditions, such as schooling systems in contemporary times. In this half-awake state, self experiences a lack of agency, and is defined by external expectations and standards. The other pull is the elevation toward what Viktor Frankl called meaning and Paul Tillich viewed as ultimate concerns. This pull need not necessarily be conceptualized as religious. It can be secular and/or grounded in agnosticism and merely reflect a sincere wish to lead an agentic, authentic and meaningful life. This pull can appear in the most prosaic situations within a teacher's life, calling her/him to resist the gravity of half-asleep functioning and survival. Self, is essentially, a site of struggle and reconciliation between these two pulls, experienced as fluctuating states of the embodied mind. The paper comprises mostly of an existential-phenomenological description of 'what it is like to be a self' in the world exemplified in the case of being a teacher in contemporary times. After describing the two pulls I will make some suggestions as to the need for teacher education that explicitly caters to the latter orientation through contemplative practices.

Journal of College Student Development, 1999

The Student Learning Imperative (SLI ) (American College Personnel Association [ACPA], 1994) was written to spark discussion of “how student affairs professionals can intentionally create the conditions that enhance student learning and personal development” (p. 1); it is a call to transform student affairs practice to promote student learning and personal development. Although the terms student learning and personal development have different historical roots and focus on different aspects of the educational process, they are described in the SLI as “inextricably intertwined and inseparable” (p. 1). In this paper, we elaborate on this assertion and argue for an integrated view of learning and personal development. From this integrated perspective, the cognitive and affective dimensions are seen as parts of one process; dimensions as seemingly distinct as knowledge construction, meaning making, and awareness of self are presumed to be integrated within the developing human being. Th...

Co-Edited by Guillemette Johnston, this online journal put out by the Society for the Philosophical Study of Education (SPSE) aims to publish papers that approach the field of education from a philosophical perspective, in the broadest sense of the term. Some of the papers considered for publication may be selected from works presented at the annual meeting of the Society for the Philosophical Study of Education by members of that organization, after these papers undergo peer review and revision. However, this journal does not limit its content to works pertaining to the annual conference; it strongly invites outside submissions from any interested party, providing that such submissions fit the guidelines of the journal. This volume includes works by Professor Babette Babich of Fordham University, editor of New Nietzsche Studies and author of several books on Nietzsche and other topics, and Professor Eduardo Duarte of Hofstra University, whose scholarly publications include studies of Hannah Arendt and Heidegger, among others. Papers on Nietzsche, Heidegger, Rousseau, Kieran Egan, and Gary Snyder, among other topics, are featured. JPSE will consider papers, book reviews, interviews, and other documents with emphases in history, psychology, religion, pedagogy, and other areas if they portend to the general ideal of philosophical speculation on the meaning, purpose, and/or nature of education. To encourage diffusion, we are posting abstracts of the contributions. Contact the editors at gjohnsto@depaul.edu, ajohnst2@depaul.edu, and/or ajohnston@colum.edu