Companion to the Philosophy of Education

Principal Investigator
Randall Curren
Assistant Professor, Teaching & Curriculum

Description
With a grant from the Spencer Foundation and the work of 52 international scholars representing a variety of disciplines, Randall Curren, edited and contributed to the first Companion to the Philosophy of Education (Blackwell Publishers, 2003). Part of the Blackwell Companion to Philosophy series, the book synthesizes philosophical thought about education, and invites readers to further explore the topics discussed there. The 600 page volume surveys the field, beginning with history of the philosophy of education, and addresses much-debated issues in the politics and ethics of schooling, including the church-state relationship, educational choice, educational justice, equality and standards of living, multiculturalism, the ethics of special education, and sex education. The section on higher education examines other critical issues, such as academic freedom, conflicts of academic and economic values, and racial justice.

The Spencer Foundation supported efforts to prepare the book for publication, plus the salary of a research assistant, and other preparation costs between July 2001 and May 2002. The grant total was $50,000.