Education and the Voice of Michael Oakeshott

The work of Michael Oakeshott has retained a striking currency in philosophical discourse about education. This is hardly surprising in view of his influence on Paul Hirst and Richard Peters, two philosophers whose work had an enormous impact on educational thinking and practice in the English-speaking world. And, although much of the detail in educational debate may change, the fundamental underlying concerns regarding the conception of the person, the nature of knowledge and the moral life and their expression in educational institutions and activities remain subject of disagreement. In the light of this continuing interest and of Oakeshott’s extensive writing on so many aspects of education, it is timely that a book be published on his thinking on the subject.

Keywords: Oakeshott, education, philosophy, knowledge, morality, philosophy of education, learning, understanding, reflective consciousness, freedom, autonomy, play, school, assimilationalism, curriculum, elitism, university, qualifications, economy, employment, welfare, aesthetics, literature, paternalism, teacher, equality, civil association, liberal education, inclusiveness