Abstract
This chapter discusses the purpose of education in modern societies, given the systems of thought that we have inherited, and addresses the question of the extent to which the purpose of education is to develop the individual as well as to benefit society. Notions of reciprocity are examined—for example, individual uniqueness balanced with the common good and reproduction of society balanced with developing character. Should school-based learning be oriented towards a vocation or for lifelong learning? How do we develop and value human and cultural capital?
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsChange history
19 April 2022
A correction has been published.
References
Bloom, B. S., Engelhart, M. D., Furst, E. J., Hill, W. H., & Krathwohl, D. R. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. New York: David McKay Company.
Dahlin, B. (2006). Education, history and be(com)ing human: Two essays in philosophy and education. Karlstad: Karlstad University.
Gidley, J. (2016). Postformal education: A philosophy for complex futures. Basel: Springer.
Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence. New York: Bantam Books.
Hall, B. (2012). Postgraduate numbers double in ten years. Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/national/tertiary-education/postgraduate-numbers-double-in-10-years-20121030-28gz3.html. Accessed 29 Mar 2017.
Livingstone, R. (1959). The rainbow bridge and other essays on education. London: Pall Mall Press.
McDonagh, D. (2017, April 16). My PhD is fake. The Irish Mail on Sunday, p. 1.
Murphy, C. (1991). Emil Molt and the beginnings of the Waldorf School. Edinburgh: Floris Books.
Payton, A. (2017). Skilling for tomorrow. Adelaide: NCVER.
Pietzner, C. (1992). Community relations and outreach. In D. Mitchell (Ed.), The art of administration: Viewpoints on professional management in Waldorf Schools (pp. 83–97). Boulder: A.W.S.N.A.
Read, H. (1948). Education through art. London: Faber and Faber.
Robinson, K. (2006). www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_Creativity.html. Accessed 14 Apr 2017.
Sherriff, L. (2015). Ernst & Young removes degree classification from entry criteria as there’s ‘no evidence’ university equals success. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2016/01/07/ernst-and-young-removes-degree-classification-entry-criteria_n_7932590.html. Accessed 28 Mar 2017.
Steiner, R. (1927). Reordering of society: The fundamental social law. http://wn.rsarchive.org/Articles/FuSoLa_index.html. Accessed 23 Mar 2018.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Stehlik, T. (2018). The Purpose of Education. In: Educational Philosophy for 21st Century Teachers. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75969-2_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75969-2_3
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-75968-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-75969-2
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)