Hannah Arendt and Contemporary Crises in Education

Using Hannah Arendt’s critical 1958 essay ‘The Crisis in Education’ as the framework through which to think with, against, and beyond contemporary challenges faced by education today, this seminal volume argues for provocative, fundamental, and yet hopeful solutions based in the philosophical educational tradition.

The book posits the contemporary relevance of Arendt’s essay, written in the wake of the destruction and societal upheaval caused by World War II, in tackling modern day educational crises such as the climate crisis, authoritarian threats to democracy, and neoliberal ideals of competitiveness. Presenting a Nordic-led, yet internationally varied group of contributors comprising some of the most prominent, contemporary philosophers of education – including leading Arendt scholars – chapters offer alternatives to the instrumentalization of education, suggesting radical and constructive critiques based on traditions not usually discussed within educational research internationally. Predominantly theoretical in approach, chapters are unique in their dialogic nature: each contain short, nuanced responses from academics demonstrating how to think with, and beyond, the chapter’s themes, deepening the readers’ understanding, encouraging reflection, and cultivating debate around educational authority.

Ultimately using Arendt’s essay as a springboard for interdisciplinary, philosophical discussions on current educational crises, this book will be of use to scholars, researchers and academics in the fields of the philosophy of education, education theory, and critical thinking more broadly.