In this essay Nicholas C. Burbules reviews his experiences and the lessons he learned as editor of "Educational Theory" for more than twenty years, and he explores some of the normative choices that are inevitably made by any editor in carrying out his or her role. Burbules examines the relationship of a journal to its intellectual…

In this essay, Paul Smeyers and Nicholas Burbules reexamine the concept of "practice" and propose a new way of conceiving it that does justice to the idea that education is in some sense an initiation into practices without endorsing either the conservative and reproductive conception of what initiation entails or the radically social…

Introduces eight essays inspired by Rene Arcilla's essay, "Why Aren't Philosophers and Educators Speaking to One Another?" The essays focus on the decreased visibility and influence of philosophy of education on the community of educators. Some essays agree that the problem exists but disagree about its causes and remedy, while others deny that…

Comments on several responses to Arcilla's article, "Why Aren't Philosophers and Educators Speaking to One Another?" asserting that Arcilla is correct and that there must be conversation between philosophy and education. The article recommends situated philosophy and concludes that demonstrating the viability of philosophy of education as a field,…

This essay reflects upon certain aspects of Wittgenstein's own practices as a teacher. "Doing" philosophy always took priority for Wittgenstein, whether this was in oral or written form: it was important to show the deep puzzles in our language (and our culture and thinking) as a step toward dissolving them. In this respect, one can teach only as…

Introduces a collection of papers that examine the past, present, and future of the journal, Educational Theory, and the field of educational theory, highlighting the 1950s-90s. The essays focus on: being and doing; memory and forgetfulness; diversity and divergence; and deconstruction and reconstruction. Several recurrent themes evident…

In his writings Jim Marshall has helpfully emphasized such Wittgensteinian themes as the multiplicity of language games, the deconstruction of "certainty," and the contexts of power that underlie discursive systems. Here we focus on another important legacy of Wittgenstein's thinking: his insistence that human activity is rule-governed. This idea…

The worst enemies of advocates for the thoughtful and critically reflective adoption of information and communication technologies in education are the exaggerated claims made on behalf of computers and the Internet by other advocates. In "On the Internet," Hubert Dreyfus debunks many of these hyperbolic claims. Dreyfus properly cautions that…

Discusses possibilities and dangers involved with using hypertext for learning; explains how it is similar to and different from other forms of information generation, organization, storage, and retrieval; examines its influence on the information it organizes; and explores problematic issues (including the potential for bias and distortion within…

The author proposes a theory of power which explains important features of social and political life from the point of view that a more democratic and equalitarian organization of society is possible and desirable, and that education can play a role in attaining that kind of society. (MT)

Presents an overview of a special issue of "Educational Theory" devoted to the philosophy of education as practiced in the United States. Essays address various facets of the history of the Philosophy of Education Society along with a retrospective commentary. The paper discusses diversity and continuity in the field. (SM)