Existentialism versus other philosophies (medium)

Philosophy of Education Perspectives: Existentialism versus other philosophies

An introduction to the Educational Philosophy Perspectives Series: I currently convene and lecture a course in the Philosophy of Education for undergraduate students. Each week we cover a new philosophical perspective or paradigm. The following series will encompass short pieces written when wearing different “paradigm hats,” the purpose of which is to illustrate differing viewpoints within the Philosophy of Read More

Philosophy of education

Philosophy of Education Perspectives: The Reconstructionist Speaks

An introduction to the Educational Philosophy Perspectives Series: I currently convene and lecture a course in the Philosophy of Education for undergraduate students. Each week we cover a new philosophical perspective or paradigm. The following series will encompass short pieces written when wearing different “paradigm hats,” the purpose of which is to illustrate differing viewpoints within the Philosophy of Read More

Happy - consider how giving builds a life of meaning (medium)

Happy? Consider how giving builds a life of meaning

Republished from The Conversation, 8 July 2015. This article is part of a series, On Happiness, examining what it means and how it might be achieved in the 21st century. In The Conversation’s series On Happiness, it has been pointed out that the pursuit of happiness for its own sake might be a futile and even counterproductive enterprise. It has also been pointed out Read More

Into the cave (medium)

Out from the cave: have we lost the purpose of education?

Republished from The Conversation, 5 May 2013. It’s nothing new to say we have a problem in education. But I’m not here to discuss the usual gripes with teachers and test scores. I believe we have a more fundamental problem with defining what we want education to do. At the moment, our definitions of educational “success” Read More