Description
Book SynopsisChristopher Martin is Assistant Professor of Education at the University of British Columbia, Kelowna, Canada.
Trade ReviewThis book provides further evidence that Christopher Martin is today one of the most interesting and promising young philosophers in the field of educational philosophy. His reading and application of Habermas' Discourse Theory of Morality is a bold and important contribution to contemporary scholarship in educational policy and will no doubt prove to be fruitfully contentious over the coming years. * Walter Okshevsky, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Education, Memorial University, Canada *
In
Education in a Post-Metaphysical World, Christopher Martin shows in a highly elaborated way how the articulation and the justification of norms and criteria of education can be carried out by the practice of public moral reasoning. In doing so he makes a great contribution to the conceptual analysis of education (and so to the philosophy of education in general). In addition, his book should also be seen as an important educationalist enrichment of the model of Discourse Ethics itself. * Krassimir Stojanov, Professor and Chair of Philosophy of Education and Educational Theory at the Catholic University of Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, Germany *
With an eye on educational policy and teacher practice Christopher Martin scrutinizes the concept of education very clearly in its normative connotation. He legitimizes his conviction that the educational domain is a moral theme in its own right as opposed to a merely
ad hoc, empirical or philosophically applied consideration. Theoretically speaking, his critical reconstruction of Habermas' Discourse Morality contributes to that conviction in a very creative way. * Siebren Miedema, Professor of Educational Foundations and Professor of Religious Education, VU University Amsterdam, Netherlands *
Martin deftly brings together disparate developments in ethics, political theory, and education and does so in a straightforward and concise fashion. In particular, he shows us that conceptual analysis, long thought to be moribund in philosophy of education, remains a vital force in analysing certain contemporary political issues, such as the (political) question of Aboriginal education. A strongly recommended read. * Scott Johnston, Associate Professor of Education, Queen’s University, Canada *
Table of ContentsIntroduction
Part I: Education and the Sources of Normativity 1. What Kind of Concept is the Concept of Education? 2. Education, Worthwhileness and the Good 3. R.S. Peters' Theory of Justification 4. Jurgen Habermas' Discourse Morality Interlude: Kantian Constructivism and Education
Part II: Discourse Morality and Education 5. Applying Habermas' Discourse Principle to Education 6. Norms, Reasons and and Complex Proceduralism in Discourse Morality Conclusion: Complex Proceduralism and Public Understanding References Index
