An Introduction to Intellectual Pluralism, Teaching, and Freedom
ESSAYS
“Curriculum and Richard McKeon’s Philosophy of Rhetoric” is a jointly authored essay given at a conference devoted to pluralism in educational research. It argues that curriculum theory and practice need a new orientation that emphasizes differences in perspective and offers a brief introduction to the work of Richard McKeon in the philosophy of rhetoric as a possible approach. McKeon identifies four modes of thought that lead to plural views of experience and, by extension, to thinking about curriculum.
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Classics and Beyond
"Intellectual Pluralism, Teaching, and Freedom" is an essay arguing that teachers need to be more reflective in their practice. The complexity of education is represented by brief sketches of the educational work of Plato, Rousseau, and Dewey which show the diversity of thought about the whole character of educating. The conclusion holds that teachers need to be equipped to reflect freely on their own practice if their students are to grow into truly free adults.
Curriculum and Richard McKeon's Philosophy of Rhetoric
"Classics and Beyond" grows out of the observation that philosophy of education (or foundations) has little influence on current public discussions of educational policy. I believe that one source of that absence derives from the way such courses are taught, or not taught, to educators. I describe two approaches I have made to a graduate course, one based on theory—using Plato, Rousseau, Dewey—and one based on practice—using Skinner, Bettleheim, Neill, Mayhew, and others. Neither has had wholly satisfying results and demonstrates, hopefully, the difficulty of the task.