The matter of crossing borders in the creation of democratic communities arises in ways that are pressing, both within the nation-state and on a global scale. Tensions between tendencies toward nationalism and the cosmopolitan call for global understanding touch the heart of ideas of democracy as beginning at home--at political, psychological, and…

This article begins by clarifying the notion of what Stanley Cavell has called "Emersonian moral perfectionism." It goes on to explore this through close analysis of aspects of Emerson's essay "Experience," in which ideas of trying or attempting or experimenting bring out the intimate relation between perfectionism and styles…

Can Levinas' thought of the other be extended beyond the relation to the other human being? This article seeks to demonstrate that Levinas' philosophy can indeed be read in such a sense and that this serves to open up a new way of understanding human thinking. Key to understanding such an extension of Levinas' philosophy will be his account of the…

Drawing partial contrasts with Deweyan and poststructuralist approaches, this essay develops an account of democratic participation based upon the work of Stanley Cavell. In particular it explores Cavell's reading of the celebrated treatment of the theme of the body politic in Shakespeare's Coriolanus. The discussion examines what it is that…

Discusses the place of new technology in education, examining what computer literacy amounts to in the age of the Internet. After noting practical problems with the vision of schools online, the paper considers apparently contrasting responses to new technology which emphasize respectively the reductionism of information technology and the…

Drawing on themes found in James Marshall's writings on Nietzsche, the arts and the self, this paper explores the nature of influence in the arts and its relevance to education. It considers what Harold Bloom has called the "anxiety of influence" and amplifies this in terms of broader questions concerning Emersonian self-reliance. The particular…

In recent years the theme of voice has emerged more prominently in research and practice in education. In practice in schools it has been found in such developments as circle time, the emphasis on emotional literacy and emotional intelligence, peer-led counselling, buddying, and the revival of school councils, while in further and adult education…

In this article, the author talks about evangelism and its relation to a sort of fancy--that is to say, to a certain level of operation of the imagination. He shares a short story concerning ways in which current regimes of quality control undermine the traditions of practice that are essential for the healthy development of disciplined and…

Hubert Dreyfus' "On the Internet" provides a powerful commentary on the way that the Internet has come to influence people's lives today, and a trenchant attack on the more extreme claims that are made for its benefits for education. Dreyfus has succeeded in presenting an account that is clear, accessible and concise. The book is full of vivid…