"Rationalism in Politics, " first published in 1962, has established the late Michael Oakeshott as the leading conservative political theorist in modern Britain. This expanded collection of essays astutely points out the limits of "reason" in rationalist politics.Oakeshott criticizes ideological schemes to reform society according to supposedly "scientific" or rationalistic principles that ignore the wealth and variety of human experience. "Rationalism in politics," says Oakeshott, "involves a misconception with regard to the nature of human knowledge." History has shown that it (...) produces unexpected, often disastrous results. "Having cut himself off from the traditional knowledge of his society, and denied the value of any education more extensive than a training in a technique of analysis," the Rationalist succeeds only in undermining the institutions that hold civilized society together. In this regard, rationalism in politics is "a corruption of the mind."Timothy Fuller is Professor of Political Science and Dean of the College at Colorado College. (shrink)

Argues that educators should help students piece together authentic narratives about themselves and about society, and not to focus so much on teaching students to process information.

In this first part, Matthew Lipman offers the reader a glimpse at the thought processes that resulted in Philosophy for Children and, in so doing, ...

Author note: Matthew Lipman, Professor of Philosophy at Montclair State College and Director of the Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children, is ...

The first full-scale history of cognitive science, this work addresses a central issue: What is the nature of knowledge?

Programs in moral education are often viewed as single events, taught in a particular grade at a particular time. This is one way of looking at the issues of moral education, but it is also indicative of some of the problems of American education. Following are several typical comments. "Curriculum construction in the United States is generally conducted in a shockingly piecemeal and superficial fashion". Alfred North Whitehead makes a plea for unity within the curriculum in Aims of Education: "The (...) solution which I am urging is to eradicate the fatal disconnection of subjects which kills the vitality of our modern curriculum". Philip Phenix relates this point to the practice of education, saying, "All too commonly the teacher teaches a particular subject or unit within a subject without any reference to its relationship to other components to the curriculum". (shrink)