Classic and Contemporary Readings in the Philosophy of Education

by Steven M. Cahn

Now even more affordably priced in its second edition, Classic and Contemporary Readings in the Philosophy of Education is ideal for undergraduate and graduate philosophy of education courses. Editor Steven M. Cahn, a highly respected contributor to the field, brings together writings by leading figures in the history of philosophy and notable contemporary thinkers. The first section of the book provides material from nine classic writers: Plato, Aristotle, Locke, Rousseau, Kant, Wollstonecraft, Mill, Whitehead, and Dewey. Their historically important works encourage students to view current issues and debates from broad perspectives. The second section presents twenty-one recent selections that reflect diverse approaches, including pragmatism, analytic philosophy, feminism, and multiculturalism. The readings are substantial or complete texts, not fragments.

The second edition of Classic and Contemporary Readings in the Philosophy of Education features expanded selections by Locke, Rousseau, Kant, and Dewey, along with eight new readings:

* Mary Wollstonecraft, "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman" (excerpt)
* Patricia Heidenry, "Home Is Where the School Is"
* Joseph S. Spoerl, "Justice and the Case for School Vouchers"
* Jeffrey R. Henig, "Rethinking School Choice"
* John Passmore, "The Concept of Teaching"
* Michel Foucault, "Discipline and Punish" (excerpt)
* Steven M. Cahn, "Guiding, Grading, and Guarding"
* Martha Nussbaum, "Cultivating Humanity" (excerpt)

Offering unprecedented breadth and depth of coverage, Classic and Contemporary Readings in the Philosophy of Education, Second Edition, is the most inclusive, thorough, and accessible introduction to the field.

Genres: Education, Philosophy, Textbooks

464 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1996

About the author

Steven M. Cahn, Ph.D. (Philosophy, Columbia University, 1966; A.B., Columbia College, 1963), teaches academic ethics, philosophy of religion, and philosophy of education at the Graduate Center and has published widely in the field of philosophy and education.

Cahn joined the Graduate Center as professor of philosophy and dean of graduate studies in 1983. He was named provost and vice president for academic affairs in 1984, remaining in that position until 1992. He previously taught at Dartmouth College, Vassar College, the University of Rochester, New York University, and the University of Vermont, where from 1973 to 1980 he headed the department of philosophy. He held executive positions with the Exxon Education Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, and he is longtime president of the John Dewey Foundation.

Reviews

[Amanda McFeeley]

I read this for my Ph.D. class so you better believe that I'm counting this one towards my reading goal. Especially since I annotated the crap out of this behemoth.

[Jordan James · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I can't rate the individual works which make up this anthology, I can say the curation feels lacking. The emphasis is heavy on the classic, leaving less that 1/4 of the work to contemporary readings. Further, both the classic and contemporary authors are given extremely limited biographies or introductions with which to contextualize their work leaving a lot of supplementary work for the reader, student, educator using this volume for coursework. Sacrificing a few texts or authors entirely in favor of more depth might make for a better text and a better course, although, this could be mended by a discerning professor.