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Education and the Ethics of Democratic Citizenship

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Abstract

In this essay, I situate public education within a vision of its special role in enabling critical citizenship within a participatory, pluralistic democracy. I provide a framework for analyzing the current predominant practices of public education, and assess the degree to which they support individual self-development toward that democratic vision. Finally, I suggest that the ethics of democratic citizenship can guide the reform of public education to enhance its capacity to realize a dream of a democracy committed to justice and the full participation of all its members.

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Acknowledgment

The basis of this essay was my presentation for the Sixth Annual Francis T. Villemain Memorial Lecture on Democracy, Education, and the Moral Life (April 7, 1998) sponsored by San Jose State University. I am indebted to those in attendance for their comments and questions, and especially to Professor Michael Katz, Chair of the Lecture Committee, for his criticisms and suggestions.

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Glass, R.D. (2009). Education and the Ethics of Democratic Citizenship. In: Katz, M.S., Verducci, S., Biesta, G. (eds) Education, Democracy, and the Moral Life. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8626-7_2

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