Educational Philosophy and Policy

This course will be of interest to anyone who has pondered the nature and purpose of education and considered its significance in building better worlds. With a central theme of ‘utopia and education’, the course encourages students to address questions such as these: What is education for and why does it really matter? How can education contribute to a more meaningful and worthwhile life? What should we seek to know and why? What social ideals should we seek to uphold, and what are some of the impediments to the pursuit of these ideals? The course will draw on literary works and the visual arts as well as more traditional educational and philosophical sources. Students will have the opportunity to apply insights from the course to policy contexts, and to explore the implications of educational theory for professional practice and everyday life.