Is philosophy of education 100 years old, 300 years old, or even older? What is philosophy of education, and what is its relationship to the fields of education and philosophy? This collection of articles from the journal Educational Philosophy and Theory examines debates about the nature of philosophy of education, its history, and its development and the way forward over the past 50 years.
As a journey through the journal archives shows, there has been a lively reckoning over time with what constitutes philosophy of education and its past, present, and future, in different geographic locations (such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australasia). How philosophy of education should be practiced in terms of methodology and its relationship with schooling and policy making have been continually questioned over the years, as scholars in the field consider the nature of knowledge and learning and its relationship with values and social contexts.
Readers interested in the history and current state of debates in educational philosophy and theory and scholars of educational policy and practice will enjoy exploring this collection, which provides a strong basis for further theorizing about what is and should be philosophy of education.
Liz Jackson is Karen Lo Eugene Chuang Professor in Diversity and Equity and Associate Dean Research at the University of Hong Kong Faculty of Education. She is also a Past President and Fellow of the Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia and Editor-in-Chief of the journal Educational Philosophy and Theory. Her interests are in philosophy of education, moral philosophy, and global studies. Her authored texts include Muslims and Islam in US Education: Reconsidering Multiculturalism (2014), Questioning Allegiance: Resituating Civic Education (2019), Beyond Virtue: The Politics of Educating Emotions (2020), and Emotions: Philosophy of Education in Practice (2024).