Anarchism and Education: A Philosophical Perspective

by Suissa; Judith

• ISBN13: 9780415371940
• ISBN10: 0415371945
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-03-30
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Exploring the neglected tradition of anarchist education, this book shows how the ideas traditionally associated with anarchism can lend a valuable perspective to philosophical debates on education, and offer a motivating vision for teachers and educational policy makers. In focusing on the educational ideas associated with social anarchists, Judith Suissa provides a detailed account of the central features of anarchist thought, dispelling some common misconceptions about anarchism and demonstrating how a failure to appreciate the crucial role of education in anarchist theory is often responsible for the dismissal of anarchism as a coherent position by both academics and the general public. The book also establishes that anarchist education is a distinct tradition that differs in important respects form libertarian or child-centered education, with which it is often mistakenly conflated. Anarchism and Educationoffers an historical account of anarchist ideas and experiments, and situates these inthe framework of contemporary debates in the philosophy of education and political philosophy. Anarchism is compared with Liberal and Marxist traditions, with particular emphasis on the concept of human nature, which, it is argued, is the key to grasping the role of education in anarchist thought, and on the notion of utopianism. The relationship between anarchist ideas and issues of pedagogy, school climate, curriculum and policy are explored, leading to a broad discussion of the political and social context of educational ideas. The perspective arising from this account is used to offer a trenchant critique of some current trends in educational theory and policy, such as calls for free markets in educational provision.

Author Biography

Judith Suissa is a Research Fellow at The Institute of Education, the University of London.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
Anarchism - definitions and questions	p. 7
Anarchism and Marxism	p. 12
Anarchism, philosophy of education and liberal suspicions	p. 15
Liberalism and liberal education	p. 18
Anarchism and human nature	p. 24
Human nature in social-anarchist theory	p. 25
Human nature and the capitalist state	p. 29
Nurturing the propensity for mutual aid	p. 31
The ideal of rationality	p. 34
Human nature in liberalism	p. 36
Anarchist values?	p. 38
Autonomy in anarchism and liberalism	p. 41
Reciprocal awareness	p. 44
Liberal paternalism and libertarianism	p. 46
Autonomy and community - tensions and questions	p. 47
Robert Wolff and the argument from autonomy	p. 50
Authority, the state and education	p. 54
The anarchist objection to the state	p. 55
Authority	p. 57
The positive core of anarchism	p. 62
Equality	p. 63
Fraternity	p. 67
Liberal values? Anarchist values?	p. 72
Education for the social virtues	p. 73
Anarchism goes to school	p. 75
The Escuela Moderna, Barcelona, 1904-1907	p. 78
The Ferrer School, New York and Stelton, 1911-1953	p. 82
The Walden Center and School, Berkeley, 1956-	p. 88
Other anarchist schools	p. 93
Summerhill - a non-anarchist experiment	p. 93
Anarchist schools versus libertarian education	p. 97
Means and ends in education	p. 99
Education for an anarchist society: vocational training and political visions	p. 102
Vocational education: theory and practice	p. 103
The moral and political content of education	p. 120
Moral education - the missing link	p. 125
What's so funny about anarchism?	p. 128
Liberal neutrality, education and the liberal state	p. 129
The minimal state and social values	p. 131
Revolutionary tactics: social anarchism and Marxism	p. 136
Goals and visions	p. 137
Utopianism and philosophy of education	p. 139
Conclusion	p. 147
Situating anarchism: a reevaluation	p. 147
An anarchist philosophy of education?	p. 149
Critiques of anarchism revisited	p. 151
Notes	p. 153
Bibliography	p. 155
Index	p. 161
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