Philosophy and education

a certain kind of wisdom

Paul Smeyers

pp. 1-7

in: Paul Smeyers (ed), International handbook of philosophy of education, Berlin, Springer, 2018

Abstract

Education and child-rearing are practices, and so are their philosophical counterpart. Moreover, philosophical arguments and their criticisms themselves bear witness to philosophical stances; similarly, there is a variety of conceptions of education and childrearing. That this results in the fact that no final word on the involved issues can be offered should not be deplored: instead, it is a forceful antidote against dangerous simplification and one-sidedness. These are themselves evidence of continuing change in society, which means we must think of 'reality' as provisional, even while take a stance in dialogue with the legacy of the past and ongoing developments and new challenges. The nature of education and of child-rearing requires therefore a certain kind of wisdom. Though such reflection cannot do away with the constraints and tensions we find ourselves in, it may nevertheless be a strong source of inspiration, helping us to make sense of life and act responsibly.