Educational Philosophers
Educational Philosophers
Instructor: Sugra Chunawala
Credits: 4
Duration: 30 session of 2 hrs each, September to December
Day/Time: Tuesday and Friday, 3.30 to 5.00 pm
Course Content:
This course will focus on the philosophical foundations of education and will aim at introducing students to the varied
scholars and their views on education that provide perspectives on the aims of education. The course will cover the
following topics:
1.The nature and aims of education (Plato, Rousseau, Dewey, Freire, Tagore),
2.Education and work (Aristotle, Amartya Sen, Mahatma Gandhi),
3.Education and Authority (J.S. Mill, Arendt),
4.Teaching and Learning,
5.Education and Equality,
6.Diversity and non-discrimination,
7.Discipline and Care,
8.Inquiry and Constructivism,
9.Critical thinking and Reasoning,
10.Moral education
Assessment: Group interactions, presentations, seminars and assignments
References:
1.Apple, M., 1990, Ideology and Curriculum, New York: Routledge, 2nd. Edition.
2.Carr, D., 2003, Making Sense of Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy and Theory of Education and Teaching,
London: Routledge Falmer.
3.Curren, R., (ed.), 2007, Philosophy of Education: An Anthology, Oxford: Blackwell.
4.Kohli, W., (ed.), 1995, Critical Conversations in Philosophy of Education, New York: Routledge.
5.Phillip's paper in the 'Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy' at: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/education-philosophy/
Additional readings:
1.Allegory of the Cave, Simile of the Sun, The Divided Line (Book VI) adapted from The Republic (Education of the
Philosopher (Book VII) from The Republic)
2.Readings based on Aristotle's Ethics, pgs. 202-208 from The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle, pgs. 55-60 from Making
Social Science Matter
3.Jean Jacques Rousseau: Rousseau. Education and the Quest for Dignity by Pratap Bhanu Mehta
4.Through Life: Gandhi's Nayee Talim by Devi Prasad, Tagore and his India by Amartya Sen
5.Maria Montessori, The Problem of Choice (from Freedom and Beyond by John Holt)
6.Experience and Education by John Dewey Chapters 1-4 (pgs.17-60), Chapters 5-8 (pgs.61-91)
7. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: The Many Faces of Constructivism by D. C. Phillips
